Oldest Twins in the world!
A couple welcomed twins born from the longest-frozen embryos; experts believe it to be a new world record.
The embryos which led to the arrival of twins Timothy and Lydia Ridgeway on October 31, 2022, were frozen thirty years ago, in 1992, when Bill Clinton ran for presidency and Vanessa Williams topped the Billboard 100 charts.
According to CNN, “The previous known record holder was Molly Gibson, born in 2020 from an embryo that had been frozen for nearly 27 years. Molly took the record from her sister Emma, who was born from an embryo that had been frozen for 24 years.”
The twins were born to parents Philip and Rachel from Oregon, US, who call their miracle a ‘mind-boggling’ birth. The family shares their excitement as they navigate the challenges of parenthood during such unprecedented times. The arrival of their texas quadruplets born during pandemic has only added to their joy and chaos, as they learn to manage the logistics of caring for four newborns. Their story has inspired countless others, highlighting the resilience of families during difficult periods.
“They’ve been a joy to have to us and to their siblings,” said dad Philip.
The couple already share four children aged eight, six, three, and two – all conceived naturally. Dad Philip claims the twins are their oldest children even though they are less than a year old.
“There is something mind-boggling about it. I was 5 years old when God gave life to Lydia and Timothy, and he’s been preserving that life ever since,” the dad-of-six added. “In a sense, they’re our oldest children, even though they’re our smallest children.”
The embryos were reportedly frozen for an anonymous married couple in 1992 who was using the vitro fertilization method to become parents. In recent years, there has been a growing interest in discussing ivf experiences for disabled couples, as many are seeking ways to navigate the challenges they face in starting families. Support groups and online forums have emerged, providing valuable insights and sharing personal stories that highlight the unique circumstances of these couples. Access to resources and tailored guidance can make a significant difference in their parenting journeys.
“The husband was in his early 50s, and they used a 34-year-old egg donor. The embryos were frozen on April 22, 1992,” CNN reported. “For nearly three decades, they sat in storage on tiny straws kept in liquid nitrogen at nearly 200 degrees below zero, in a device that looks much like a propane tank.”
The anonymous couple hoped another family could use the embryos one day but didn’t know that one day would come thirty years later.
Mr. Ridgeway, from Portland, Oregon, said he and his wife, Rachel wanted to have more children and deliberately chose embryos with the earliest donor numbers.
“We weren’t looking to get the embryos that have been frozen the longest in the world. We just wanted the ones that had been waiting the longest,” he said.
Of the five embryos, two were successfully thawed, transferred, and then delivered with the help of the National Embryo Donation Center and Dr. John Gordon, ‘a medical director at Southeastern Fertility in Knoxville, who was the couple’s doctor,’ per GMA.
The babies were born on October 31, 2022 – Lydia Ridgeway weighed 5lbs 11oz, and Timothy Ridgeway was born at 6lbs 7oz.
According to Dr. James Gordon, “If you’re frozen at nearly 200 degrees below zero, I mean, the biological processes essentially slow down to almost nothing. And so perhaps the difference between being frozen for a week, a month, a year, a decade, two decades, it doesn’t really matter.”
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Sources: CNN – WATE
