The use of Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ARTs) has proliferated rapidly since the birth of Louise Brown in England in
1978 via in vitro fertilization with embryo transfer (IVF–ET, or more commonly, IVF). The ability to cryopreserve embryos
followed shortly thereafter, increasing the potential success rates while decreasing the costs, thereby becoming a standard
practice among ART clinics. Unfortunately, the proliferation of these technologies led to an unanticipated problem, i.e.,
the prolonged storage of large numbers of frozen embryos.
The National Embryo Donation Center (NEDC) was founded to address this dilemma. The idea of a national center that provided
comprehensive embryo adoption and donation services was originally the idea of Dr. David Stevens, who serves as CEO of the
Christian Medical and Dental Associations (CMDA). Dr. Stevens presented me with this idea in late 2002. We agreed that the
large, and increasing, number of frozen embryos was of concern from medical, legal, and ethical perspectives. We saw the potential
to assist both couples who have remaining frozen embryos, as well as infertile couples who desire to experience the joy of
pregnancy and childbirth. We believed that the most life-honoring option for unused embryos was to give them the chance to
develop into their fully human potential. After a number of discussions, we agreed that the idea of establishing a national
center for embryo donation and adoption was viable and worth pursuing.