After losing their 21-year-old son, Cristina Rapti-Tzelepi, 54, and her husband decided to use an embryo that had been frozen for more than two decades. The Greek couple found in assisted reproduction a way to overcome the devastating loss of their son.
The embryo used had been preserved for more than 22 years, having been donated by another couple who underwent fertility treatment. After the embryo transfer procedure, the mother was able to successfully carry the pregnancy to term.
Georgia was born this Wednesday in Athens, weighing 3.490 kilos. The birth represents a medical milestone, being considered one of the cases of longest embryo freezing time that resulted in a successful birth.
The story of the Greek couple illustrates both the advances in reproductive medicine and the emotional impact that the loss of a child can have on family decisions to seek a new pregnancy at advanced maternal age.
