After tragedy, a Greek couple welcomes a daughter born from an embryo frozen for 22 years

Thanassis Stavrakis/AP

Out of their darkest moment, a Greek couple managed to make a new start with a baby born this week. Doing so meant using one of Cristina Rapti‑Tzelepi’s decades-old embryos and racing to beat a government deadline.

Just months after their 21‑year‑old son died in a road crash in October, Rapti‑Tzelepi, now 54, and her husband made the decision to pursue another attempt using an embryo frozen for 22 years.

Rapti-Tzelepi was running up against the Greek government’s 54-year age limit for women to complete in vitro fertilization procedures and secure approval from a national authority. When she started, time was already running short.

“I only had a 2½-month window,” she said. “It was stressful, but with inner strength and our doctor and his whole team by our side, we got through every obstacle.”

She gave birth on Wednesday in the Greek capital, Athens , to a girl who weighed in at 3.49 kilograms (7 pounds, 11 ounces). In a hospital room brightened with pink balloons and flowers on Friday, the new parents were overcome with emotion.

“We decided to give life a second chance, to make a new start, bring new life into our home and keep our family’s story going,” Rapti-Tzelepi said, sitting on her bed in black pajamas. “My wish for her is to grow up healthy and happy, full of joy like our first child, who filled our home with laughter.”

The child was born using the woman’s embryo that had been frozen more than 22 years ago, an unusually long time for a frozen fertilized egg to be used to produce a pregnancy.

Last year, an Ohio couple welcomed a baby boy developed from an embryo frozen for more than 30 years through a process known as “ embryo adoption ,” and earned recognition from Guinness World Records.

Dr. Kostas Pantos, Rapti-Tzelepi’s gynecologist and head of the Hellenic Society of Reproductive Medicine, argued that Greece’s age restrictions warrant review, noting the country’s steep birth rate decline.

“The law is very strict: 54 plus one day is not allowed. Maybe it’s time for it to change,” said Pantos, a native of Melbourne, Australia. “I think it’s a right (parents) should not be deprived of.”

Rejoice and John David Gordon/AP

An Ohio couple welcomes a baby boy from a nearly 31-year-old frozen embryo

The baby’s 60-year-old father, Constantinos Raptis, held his new daughter as she slept on his shoulder, wrapped in a white bodysuit. He said that he was deeply grateful to the doctor for restoring hope to his family.

“He took us by the hand and pulled us out of our deepest darkness,” Raptis said. “We escaped from that darkness, and I believe we have a lot to live for now.”

The couple named their daughter Georgia in honor of their late son, Giorgos, also born thanks to IVF. They haven’t ruled out trying for another child — possibly by traveling abroad.

Thanassis Stavrakis/美联社

一对希腊夫妇在人生最黑暗的时刻，凭借着本周出生的宝宝，开启了新的生活。他们利用了克里斯蒂娜·拉普蒂-泽莱皮几十年前的胚胎，并争分夺秒地赶在政府规定的最后期限前完成胚胎移植。

就在他们 21 岁的儿子于 10 月份因车祸去世几个月后，现年 54 岁的拉普蒂-泽莱皮和她的丈夫决定再次尝试，使用冷冻了 22 年的胚胎。

拉普蒂-泽莱皮面临着希腊政府规定的54岁女性进行体外受精手术并获得国家机构批准的年龄限制。当她开始手术时，时间已经非常紧迫了。

“我只有两个半月的时间，”她说。“那段时间压力很大，但凭借着内心的坚强，以及医生和他的整个团队的支持，我们克服了所有困难。”

周三，她在希腊首都雅典诞下一名女婴，体重3.49公斤（7磅11盎司）。周五，在装饰着粉色气球和鲜花的病房里，这对新手父母激动不已。

“我们决定给生命第二次机会，重新开始，为我们的家带来新的活力，延续我们家族的故事，”拉普蒂-泽莱皮穿着黑色睡衣坐在床上说道。“我希望她能健康快乐地长大，像我们的第一个孩子一样充满喜悦，她曾给我们的家带来无数欢笑。”

这个孩子是用该女子22年前冷冻的胚胎孕育而成的，对于使用冷冻受精卵进行妊娠来说，时间之长实属罕见。

去年，俄亥俄州一对夫妇通过“胚胎领养”这一过程，迎来了一个由冷冻了 30 多年的胚胎发育而成的男婴，并获得了吉尼斯世界纪录的认可。

拉普蒂-泽莱皮的妇科医生、希腊生殖医学协会主席科斯塔斯·潘托斯博士认为，希腊的年龄限制需要重新审视，并指出该国的出生率急剧下降。

“法律非常严格：54岁零一天是不允许的。也许是时候修改了，”来自澳大利亚墨尔本的潘托斯说道。“我认为这是（父母的）一项权利，不应该被剥夺。”

欢欣雀跃，约翰·大卫·戈登/美联社

俄亥俄州一对夫妇迎来了​​一个男婴，这个男婴是由一个冷冻了近31年的胚胎孕育而成。

婴儿60岁的父亲康斯坦丁诺斯·拉普蒂斯抱着睡在他肩上的新生女儿，她穿着白色连体衣。他说，他非常感谢医生，是医生让他的家庭重燃希望。

“他牵着我们的手，把我们从最深的黑暗中拉了出来，”拉普蒂斯说。“我们逃离了那片黑暗，我相信我们现在有很多值得活下去的理由。”

这对夫妇给女儿取名乔治亚，是为了纪念他们已故的儿子乔治，乔治也是通过试管婴儿技术出生的。他们没有排除再生一个孩子的可能性——或许会考虑出国生育。