ATHENS, Greece | A Greek couple has welcomed a baby girl conceived from an embryo that had been frozen for more than 22 years, giving the family a new beginning just months after the death of their 21-year-old son in a road accident.
Cristina Rapti-Tzelepi, 54, gave birth to the 3.49-kilogram baby in Athens on Wednesday, according to the Associated Press. She and her 60-year-old husband, Constantinos Raptis, named the child Georgia in memory of their late son, Giorgos, who was also born through in vitro fertilization.
The couple decided to try for another child after their son’s death in October. They had one of Rapti-Tzelepi’s embryos remaining from fertility treatment more than two decades ago and chose to use it rather than begin a new IVF cycle.
The decision also came with a strict deadline. Greek regulations currently prevent women older than 54 from completing IVF procedures and obtaining authorization from the country’s national authority. Rapti-Tzelepi said she had only about two and a half months to complete the process after deciding to proceed.
The successful birth is unusual because the embryo had remained frozen for more than two decades. However, it is not the longest documented interval involving a frozen embryo. In 2025, an Ohio couple gave birth to a baby developed from an embryo that had been frozen for more than 30 years through embryo adoption, which received recognition from Guinness World Records.
Embryo cryopreservation has been used in assisted reproduction for decades. Modern vitrification techniques allow embryos to be preserved at extremely low temperatures, essentially halting biological development until they are thawed for possible transfer. The age of a frozen embryo therefore refers to the time it has spent in storage, rather than the biological aging that occurs after birth.
For the Raptis family, the procedure carried significance beyond the medical achievement. Rapti-Tzelepi said the couple wanted to give life another chance and continue their family’s story after the loss of their son. Her husband credited their doctor and medical team with helping the family emerge from a period of profound grief.
Their doctor, gynecologist Kostas Pantos, who heads the Hellenic Society of Reproductive Medicine, has called for Greece to reconsider its IVF age restrictions. He pointed to the country’s declining birth rate and argued that the current limit may prevent some people from pursuing parenthood.
Greece has long been a significant destination for assisted reproduction, particularly for patients seeking IVF under regulations that differ from those in other European countries. The country’s fertility debate has become increasingly important as Greece faces one of Europe’s oldest populations and a prolonged decline in births.
The couple has not ruled out having another child, potentially by seeking treatment abroad. For now, Georgia’s arrival marks a new chapter for a family still mourning the loss of their son, while the case has renewed discussion in Greece over fertility treatment, reproductive age limits and the possibilities offered by long-term embryo preservation.
Paraluman P. Funtanilla
Paraluman P. Funtanilla is Tutubi News Magazine's Marketing Specialist and is a Contributing Editor. She finished her degree in Communication Arts in De La Salle Lipa. She has worked as a Digital Marketer for start-up businesses and small business spaces for the past two years. She has earned certificates from Coursera on Brand Management: Aligning Business Brand and Behavior and Viral Marketing and How to Craft Contagious Content. She also worked with Asia Express Romania TV Show.
- Paraluman P. Funtanilla
- Paraluman P. Funtanilla
- Paraluman P. Funtanilla
- Paraluman P. Funtanilla
