Pro-life Christian adoption agencies in the United States are encouraging couples to adopt thousands of frozen embryos left over from IVF treatments to prevent them from being discarded.
Nightlight Christian Adoptions, which started the first ever embryo adoption program, has estimated that there are more 600,000 frozen embryos kept in storage facilities across the US.
It’s ‘Snowflake’ initiative, which has been strongly backed by former US President George Bush, has resulted in 300 children being born after being adopted as embryos since its inception in 2004.
Gabriel Fluhrer, public relations and publishing coordinator for the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals, and father of Anna Flurher who was born through the Snowflake program, said:
“If we’re going to stand against abortion, it’s not simply picketing a clinic. It’s doing the hard work of adopting the orphans around the world, whether embryos or orphans living in China.”
IVF
The practice of IVF leads to the creation of spare embryos since a multiple number are produced from which couples are required to select the healthiest for implantation.
The left over embryos are either discarded or frozen to be used a later stage when their chances of survival are significantly lower.
Maria Lancaster, the CEO of the Embryo Adoption Services of Cedar Park, explained:
“There are thousands of human embryos held in suspended animation, in freezers all over America, and around the world.
“Millions of couples that struggle with infertility yearn to hold a baby in their arms, but are unable to conceive.
“Our program is designed to bring those families together. Our service enables families to find each other, and for the embryos to have a chance to be born, into a loving family.”
Embryo adoption groups have been vocally supported by Christians across the US and have received $21 million in federal funding to promote their services in the past ten years.
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