Wendy Kennedy's necklace reminds her everyday how lucky she and her husband Jared are. It's a replica of what her daughter Avery looked like when she was just days old.
"The doctor, prior to implanting the embryo that was 3 days old, took a picture of it. And, Jared had it made for my birthday. It's an embryo in its 4th cell division which is about the right stage that they like to implant embryos and it ended up working out for us," says Wendy.
Working out it did. On December 31st, 2005, Avery Lee Kennedy was born. She's the world's first-ever child born from frozen donor eggs and live sperm. Dr. James Akin of the Bluegrass Fertility Center was one of the doctors who implanted Wendy.
"The first baby from those frozen eggs was in the mid-80s. So, having a baby from frozen eggs is not new, what is relatively new is using it from donor," explains Dr. Akin.
It cost the Kennedys about $15,000, which is about the average price tag for frozen donor eggs. That's still about $10,000 less than fresh donor eggs and Dr. Akin says there are other advantages to using frozen donor eggs too.
"But, a frozen donor egg bank gives you the advantage of just having the eggs available. You can choose them, freeze them, so you don't have to monitor the donor. It's better on the cycles and the pregnancy rates are initially a little bit lower and they're getting closer to fresh donor rates. So, they're similar," comments Dr. Akin.
He says Avery is a perfect example of what can happen when things work out.
"I think its great and it makes you feel good and I'm pleased that it's working so well. And there's been other people that have come through that we've helped," comments Dr. Akin.
Avery is about to turn six years old. She's a happy, healthy, outgoing kindergartner who already knows what she wants to be when she grows up.
"I want to be a teacher because teachers get to, like, teach kids," says Avery.
The Kennedys call Avery their blessing and they have some advice for other families who may also be looking for a miracle.
"Just look inside yourself. I think being very positive is part of it. I think support and hope made a big difference. I know a lot of people are down on themselves and they shouldn't be. They shouldn't be embarrassed. I think just being positive is key," explains Wendy.
For more information on frozen egg donations, http://www.theworldeggbank.com/
