Months after son killed in crash, couple welcomes daughter born from embryo frozen for 22 years

September 14, 2026 / 12:17 PM EDT / CBS/AP

Out of their darkest moment, a Greek couple managed to make a new start with a baby born last week. Doing so meant using one of Cristina Rapti‑Tzelepi's decades-old embryos and racing to beat a government deadline.

Just months after their 21‑year‑old son died in a road crash in October, Rapti‑Tzelepi, now 54, and her husband made the decision to pursue another attempt using an embryo frozen for 22 years.

Rapti-Tzelepi was running up against the Greek government's 54-year age limit for women to complete in vitro fertilization procedures and secure approval from a national authority. When she started, time was already running short.

"I only had a 2½-month window," she told The Associated Press. "It was stressful, but with inner strength and our doctor and his whole team by our side, we got through every obstacle."

She gave birth on Wednesday in the Greek capital, Athens, to a girl who weighed in at 7 pounds, 11 ounces. In a hospital room brightened with pink balloons and flowers on Friday, the new parents were overcome with emotion.

"We decided to give life a second chance, to make a new start, bring…

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/entertainment/