‘Worth the wait’: Family’s dreams come true due to record 27-year frozen embryo birth

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) – The Gibson family spent years planning a family, facing infertility problems for most of that time. All their waiting paid off in 2017.

This coming with the help of In Vitro Fertilization or IVF; the Gibsons were able to adopt frozen embryos and transfer them to Tina Gibson’s uterus.

Nine months later a beautiful baby girl was born. Emma Wren was born Nov. 25, 2017, to Benjamin and Tina Gibson. She set the record for the longest embryo to be cryopreserved then born.

“I never thought I would be able to have a pregnancy, have a baby, such a miracle such a sweet, sweet miracle,” said Tina Gibson, who faced infertility for years.

Then, again just weeks ago, another miracle for the family; Molly Everette Gibson was born.

Both babies, preserved on Oct. 14, 1992, which makes Molly the longest, having been frozen for 27 years. Emma and Molly were conceived around eighteen months after Tina Gibson was born.

The National Embryo Donation Center (NEDC) helped the Gibsons through the whole process. They are not alone, the NEDC in Knoxville does about 200 to 300 embryo adoptions and transfers every year.

Dr. John Gordon who specializes in IVF says technology is what makes this all work.

“The ability to freeze these embryos in liquid nitrogen at negative 170 degrees, will keep them in the state of animation,” said Dr. Gordon. “When you think about embryos being frozen, they are a group of cells that have the potential to go on and become a baby.”

Both parents say they are blessed.

“I am so glad I have these sweet little blessings,” said Gibson, “it was worth the wait.”