A Snowflake Named Hannah – Ethics, Faith, and the First Adoption of a Frozen Embryo

Can frozen embryos be adopted? The answer not only gave John and Marlene Strege their daughter, Hannah, it drew all three of them into a political spotlight they never expected. Hundreds of thousands of frozen embryos exist, held in stasis because parents using in vitro fertilization have completed their families without them. When scientists found a way to extract stem cells from human embryos for disease research, those tiny lives were suddenly at risk. Hannah, just a few months after this discovery, became the first face of the growing resistance to this new science. In the first years of her life, she not only sparked other parents to adopt their own "Snowflake" babies but also inspired the first frozen embryo adoption program, was featured on "Focus on the Family," attended her mother's testimony before Congress, and stood at President Bush's side as he vetoed federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. This compelling story unfolds at the intersection of faith and family, science, and politics. Whether you are pro-life, have experienced infertility, or are concerned with where science can lead when ethics are compromised, you'll be moved and inspired by this book--and the sweet face of the baby who might never have been born. -- from back cover.