Top 10 Benefits of Embryo Adoption

1. If a woman is experiencing premature menopause, or another infertility condition in which her own eggs are not viable for reproductive purposes, she can still become pregnant with a donor embryo.
2. In one cost analysis study conducted in the United States, embryo adoption is approximately half the cost of an egg donation.
3. Despite the connotations associated with the name, an embryo adoption is actually a transfer of property – not the adoption of a child. Therefore, the donating couple is not legally responsible in any way should a child be produced from the embryo.
4. The discarding of embryos is ethically problematic for some individuals. Allowing these embryos to be used to help create a new life is an alternative to disposal or use in research.
5. Many embryo adoption programs will conduct a thorough home study to determine whether or not the embryo will be given to a couple who can provide a safe and loving environment should a child result.
6. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, embryo adoptions have a national pregnancy success rate of 43 percent and live birth rate of 35 percent.
7. The average time between submitting an application to receiving a donation is approximately 6 months, much shorter than the average time to receive an egg donation or adopt a child.
8. Many embryo banks include information about the donating individuals in order to help match the recipient with desired ethnic, sex, or physical traits.
9. This adoption process is regulated by the government and all appropriate disease screening is required by law to protect the recipient.
10. Often times multiple embryos are available from a donor. If the recipient does not use all of these embryos – they can be returned to the original donor to be re-adopted out to another family in need.

- See more at: http://www.newwavemediaonline.com/2011/05/top-10-benefits-embryo-adoption/#sthash.AFtXLGOI.dpuf

Get Used to Embryo Adoption

Sarah Elizabeth Richards (TIME Magazine)

This story is remarkable on many levels. First, the embryo that became Liam is believed to be one of the oldest ever that was thawed after being frozen for so long. His siblings who were conceived at the same time are now college age. Second, the way Liam came into this world is part of a growing trend of embryo donation that represents a promising solution to our national problem of hundreds

 of thousands of leftover IVF embryos languishing in storage.

What do you do when you undergo in-vitro fertilization, conceive a child and find yourself left with extra embryos? One Oregon couple kept theirs in the freezer for 19 years after having a set of twins via IVF, in case they wanted to expand their family more someday. But, year after year, they didn’t move forward and instead paid their annual storage bill of several hundred dollars. Finally, they decided to give their four remaining embryos to Kelly Burke, 45, a single woman from Virginia. Two were thawed and transferred to Burke’s uterus, and she’s now a mom to smiley 9-month-old Liam James.

Today: Family Talk Radio Broadcast

The very first embryo adoptive family, the Strege's, tell how the very first "Snowflake Baby" came to be on the Family Talk radio broadcast with Dr. James Dobson. Tune in to hear how the journey of embryo adoption began and how it has progressed in 16 short years.

CLICK HERE to listen to today's broadcast ONLINE.

Another (previously aired) broadcast on Embryo Adoption can be found HERE.

Embryo Adoption Broadcast to Air Tomorrow

The very first embryo adoptive family, the Strege family, will appear TOMORROW, Wednesday, January 22nd on the Family Talk radio broadcast with Dr. James Dobson. Tune in to hear how the journey of embryo adoption began.

CLICK HERE to listen to the broadcast ONLINE.

The Disgrace of Infertility

By: Nate Pyle
Originally posted on his blog: http://natepyle.com/the-disgrace-of-infertility/

This Christmas I preached through the Christmas story as told by Luke. For all the times I’ve read the story, I’ve never noticed this small line hidden in the middle of the Christmas narrative. But this year was different. This year, that small, innocent line refused to go unnoticed and forced me to see it.

After Elizabeth became pregnant with John, she praised God saying, “The Lord has done this for me,” she said. “In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.”

We know that disgrace. My wife knows that disgrace. I know that disgrace.

Infertility.

No, it isn’t the same type of disgrace that Elizabeth experienced. In that day, an inability to bear children was equated with sin. It was assumed that the reason for barrenness was your own doing. You must have done something. You must have something to repent of. Some sin you committed. Some reason God was withholding his blessing from you.

You.

You created the problem by your disobedience, and now God is punishing you.

Thankfully, the shame of disapproving eyes and rumored gossip doesn’t surround infertility in America anymore. But shame still exists.

Embryo Adoption on 'The Katie Show'

"The Katie Show" recently featured a special segment focusing on embryo donation and adoption. Two stories of embryo adoption were shared including Dan and Kelli Gassman and their 9-month old son Trevor.  Guests also included Dr. Robin Poe-Zeigler, their Reproductive Endocrinologist, and Kimberly Tyson, Marketing and Program Director for the Embryo Adoption Awareness Center. Please click here to see the full broadcast.

A Snowflake Is Born - Zoe's Story

Zoe Annadelle Johnson was born on November 9, 2012, but her life began 3 years before that. Zoe was one of six embryos created on May 8, 2009 through the use of In-vitro fertilization (IVF). When she was 5 days old she was frozen. God had big plans for these tiny, unique, pre-born “snowflake” babies.

Embryos #1 and #2 were chosen to be transferred to their biological mother. Both embryos implanted and nine months later they were blessed with the births of a son and a daughter. With their family of four completed, their attention quickly shifted to the fate of the four frozen embryos waiting for their chance to be born.

Zoe’s biological parents were presented with the standard options for her future as a “extra” embryo: destroy them, donate them to scientific research (which would then destroy them), anonymously donate them to an infertile couple, or find a family to adopt and carry them to term. Reflecting on their belief that life begins at fertilization, they quickly realized that destroying them or donating them to research would terminate the precious life that had been created. The fate of the remaining embryos weighed heavily on their minds and hearts for two years until they connected online with Charis & Duffy Johnson in the fall of 2011.