Katrina `rescued Embryo' Baby Turns 1

[MiniMe]

OK, I admit, I don't remember this from a year ago. But who spent resources on this instead of rescuing people?

NEW ORLEANS - Once a frozen embryo threatened by Hurricane Katrina, little Noah Markham _ named for the survivor of the biblical flood-of-all-floods _ celebrated his first birthday Wednesday.

...snip

The boys' embryos were among several created at the same time in 2003, using Rebekah's eggs and Glen's sperm, in a fertility lab not far from their home in Covington, across Lake Pontchartrain from New Orleans.

Witt's embryo was implanted immediately in Rebekah Markham's womb, and he was born in 2004. Five other embryos, including Noah's, were among about 1,400 which The Fertility Institute of New Orleans had stored at a hospital that flooded when Hurricane Katrina hit on Aug. 29, 2005.

With power out and the city sweltering in the days after the storm, authorities used flatboats for a water rescue of the canisters holding the embryos.

The one that became Noah was defrosted and implanted into his mother's womb in May 2006. He was among eight babies delivered from 59 frozen embryos implanted that year at the same clinic. Of the clinic's 1,750 frozen embryos, all but 350 were at the hospital that flooded.

...snip


edited to add link: http://www.qctimes.com/articles/2008/01/16/ap/us/d8u745m00.txt

[niyad]

1. when is georgie going to take a pic with this "snowflake" baby

[Bunny]

2. Meanwhile, actual people were drowning in their attics.

:eyes:

[MiniMe]

3. Yup. But those embryos were saved

[uppityperson]

4. Longer story from NOLA.com and a telling quote from another story

http://www.nola.com/newsflash/index.ssf?/base/news-36/1200413981246160.xml&storylist=louisiana
The city lost power. Doctors at the Fertility Institute of New Orleans worried that pressure relief valves would vent the nitrogen much faster than usual in the sweltering summer heat. Louisiana State Police and Illinois Conservation Police provided flatboats for a water rescue of the canisters holding about 1,400 embryos.

Another
http://www.wwltv.com/topstories/stories/wwl102606khembryos.776c01bd.html#
" Even though the fertility clinic had a hurricane plan in place for years, no one could have foreseen that the hospital on Bullard would flood or that phones would be down, or that it would be weeks before people could get back into the city. And 1,500 frozen embryos were at stake."

Looking at a map, Bullard was in danger of flooding from several locations and was under water for a long time. (Near Paris, N Chalmette, E of Gentilly)

Edited for typo.

[MiniMe]

5. Lets let the people drown and rescue the embryos

:eyes:

[uppityperson]

6. Resued Sept 11 and you're eyerolling at the wrong person.

I was headed down from WA then to help deliver supplies, do med clinics for those displaced and still enplaced. But, if it makes you happy to eyeroll, just go ahead.

[MiniMe]

7. Not eyerolling you at all

Sorry if you got that impression. Peace.

Just at the idea that "they", whoever they may be, thought that rescuing frozen embryos was more important than rescuing people who were drowning.

:hi:

[uppityperson]

8. OK, thanks. There were people still stuck in places then.

Not drowning but dying of dehydration and getting very very hungry.