A couple from Greece made headlines across the globe after they welcomed a healthy baby girl from the same batch of embryos they'd frozen 22 years earlier to have their son, who recently passed away. At 54 years old, Christina Rapti-Tzelepi gave birth to her daughter earlier this month following in vitro fertilization (IVF) in December 2025 at Genesis Athens Clinic using embryos that were frozen on March 17, 2004. Christina and her husband Konstantinos decided to have another child after they lost their son and only child at the time, George, in October 2025.
However, in Greece there's a maximum age limit of 54 for women to undergo IVF treatment meaning the Rapti-Tzelepis were pushed for time and had to start the process while still struggling with the grief of losing their son. According to Newlife IVF Greece, the reason behind the age cap is because of the severe medical risks that a pregnancy can have on a woman who is at an advanced maternal age as well as the natural limit of the female reproductive system. Now, the Rapti-Tzelepis are calling for the legislation to be changed.
The couple spoke to Newsweek about the journey they've been through over the last year, from immeasurable grief to newfound joy and why they believe Greece's laws around IVF need to be changed. One of the clinic's nurses and their gynecologist, Dr. Konstantinos Pantos, who is also Secretary General of the Greek Society of Reproductive Medicine, translated what they said.
The Rapti-Tzelepis met around 30 years ago through friends. They always knew they wanted a family, but after trying for three years, they discovered they needed to undergo IVF treatment to have a child. On the first attempt of the procedure, which was carried out at Genesis Athens Clinic, Christina became pregnant with their son George.
However, due to difficulties with the birth, George was born via a cesarean section. The doctor who delivered him told the couple that it might be dangerous for them to have another child, because of concerns relating to the anatomy of Christina's uterus, and encouraged them not to. His words frightened them and so even though they wanted to have another child, they didn't, but kept their 12 remaining embryos frozen at the clinic.
In October 2025, George was killed in a tragic car accident. It "left a void no words can describe," his father said. Despite being in the throes of grief, the couple knew they wanted to have another child even though they'd been warned of the dangers of doing so.
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