After losing son, couple welcomes daughter born from embryo frozen for 22 years
The couple named their daughter Georgia in honor of their late son, Giorgos.
In a remarkable turn of events, a Greek couple who lost their son in a tragic road accident last year welcomed a daughter born from an embryo frozen for 22 years. Cristina Rapti-Tzelepi, now 54, and her husband, Constantinos Raptis, 60, faced a challenging situation when they made the decision to pursue another attempt using the frozen embryo.
The Greek government had imposed a strict age limit of 54 years for women to undergo in vitro fertilization procedures, leaving them with just a 2.5-month window to act. Despite the stress and obstacles, the couple persevered, with support from their doctor and medical team. The newborn girl, named Georgia, weighed 7 pounds, 11 ounces, and was born at the Greek capital, Athens.
Speaking about their decision to give life a second chance, Rapti-Tzelepi expressed her wish for their new daughter to lead a healthy and joyful life, just like their first child who filled their home with laughter. Dr. Kostas Pantos, Rapti-Tzelepi's gynecologist and head of the Hellenic Society of Reproductive Medicine, believed that Greece should reconsider its age restrictions, as the steep decline in birth rates might warrant a change in the law.
The father of the baby, Constantinos Raptis, expressed deep gratitude to the doctor for restoring hope to their family. The couple named their daughter after their late son, Giorgos, who was also born through IVF. They have not ruled out the possibility of having another child, potentially by traveling abroad, as the practice of embryo donation is gaining popularity in the United States.
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