Christina Rapti-Tzelepi, 54, gave birth in Athens to a daughter after IVF using embryos frozen in 2004, months after her only son was killed in a car crash. She and her husband are urging Greece to change its rule barring IVF after age 54.
After George was born on the couple’s first IVF attempt, they kept 12 embryos frozen. In December 2025, Christina became pregnant after a single transfer of three of them at Genesis Athens Clinic. Their daughter was born at 39 weeks and two days and weighed approximately 7.6 pounds. Gynecologist Konstantinos Pantos told Newsweek the pregnancy and birth went more smoothly than expected.
Greece sets 54 as the maximum age for women to undergo IVF. Newlife IVF Greece says the cap reflects severe medical risks associated with pregnancy at advanced maternal age and the natural limits of the reproductive system. Christina wants another child so their daughter has a sibling and said they may go abroad if the law does not change. Pantos supports a flexible limit that considers individual circumstances; he said waiting a few months to grieve would not have changed Christina’s health or ability to have a child.
