Parents of baby adopted as embryo fight embryonic stem-cell research

Published: 2007-04-16

DOVER, Del. (CNS) -- Tim and Dawn Smith adopted a leftover frozen embryo in January 2004 and gave birth nine months later to their adopted daughter, Erin. At the time they had no idea it would lead them to a public battle in coming years with legislators and lobbyists seeking to let such embryos be destroyed for embryonic stem-cell research. The fate of such frozen embryos no longer wanted by their genetic parents is at the heart of a debate in the Delaware Legislature. On March 29 the Senate voted 13-7 to adopt the Delaware Regenerative Medicine Act, which would sanction human embryonic stem-cell research in Delaware, allowing researchers to destroy the embryos to harvest their stem cells. The bill was awaiting action in the House. The Smiths, who met in college and married in 1991, wanted three or four children, but in 1997 they learned that they were infertile. One day as Dawn Smith was looking through a phone book listing of fertility clinics, she noticed one that offered embryo adoptions. After considering traditional adoption alternatives, the couple decided to try the embryo adoption.

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