Tyler, 7, and his younger brother Jayden, 3, excitedly checked a small green tent on their living room table. Inside hung several gray cocoons — the boys were waiting for butterflies to emerge in their “little biology experiment.” But not long ago, Tyler and Jayden themselves existed in a very different state: frozen embryos waiting for a chance at life.
Before Alana and Steven Lisano, from Fort Collins, Colorado, married and started trying for children, they learned that Alana’s eggs were of poor quality. IVF might not work for them. But in 2014, at a church event, they heard about the thousands of embryos frozen in clinics across the US, waiting for families. The embryos that would become Tyler and Jayden had been in cryopreservation for nearly 18 years.
For many, freezing embryos is part of IVF — but it raises complex questions, especially for those who believe life begins at conception.
“God’s Plan” and Embryo Rights
Most Americans do not think about what happens to leftover embryos until they undergo IVF. They must then decide whether to freeze, discard, or donate these fertilized eggs. These choices are deeply personal.
However, some in the Christian right want to remove this choice altogether.
In February 2024, the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that embryos should be legally treated as “extrauterine children” with full rights. This decision alarmed IVF providers, who feared lawsuits under Alabama’s wrongful death laws. Politicians like Ted Cruz and Donald Trump promised to protect IVF access, and emergency laws were passed to shield doctors.
Christian conservative groups, such as the Heritage Foundation and Students for Life of America, welcomed the ruling. They argue that IVF’s routine freezing, testing, and discarding of embryos violate Christian values about the sanctity of life.
IVF’s Popularity and the Rise of Embryo Adoption
Despite opposition, IVF remains popular in the US, including among many Christians who see it as a “pro-life” method because it results in children being born.
For those unable to conceive naturally, losing IVF options would be heartbreaking. Adoption of infants has become harder both domestically and internationally.
So, some Christian leaders have promoted embryo “adoption” as an alternative. This practice treats frozen embryos as “preborn” children needing a chance at life. Often, white Christian families with leftover embryos donate them to other families hoping to conceive.
Anthropologist Dr. Risa Cromer explains that embryo adoption reflects evangelical views about God’s plan for each embryo. While freezing embryos is accepted, delaying or discarding them is seen as interfering with God’s will. Evangelicals believe all frozen embryos should eventually be thawed and implanted to fulfill their divine purpose.
Saving Embryos Through Adoption
Dr. Jeffrey Keenan leads the National Embryo Donation Center in Tennessee, which has helped over 1,000 babies be born through embryo adoption since 2003. He hopes to find loving homes for the estimated 1.5 million frozen embryos in the US and reduce the number stored.
But Dr. Cromer warns that reaching these goals would require limiting the number of embryos created during IVF and greatly expanding embryo adoption—a challenge given that many Christians are still unaware of this option despite years of awareness campaigns.
A Complex Future for IVF and Embryo Rights
The Christian right’s push for embryo adoption may reshape reproductive medicine in ways that could disappoint everyone involved—fertility specialists, parents, and even the embryos they want to protect.
IVF has changed lives by offering hope to infertile families. But in the debate over embryos and “God’s plan,” the path forward remains uncertain.
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