Latest news with #Christian-based
Time of India
02-08-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Ohio couple welcomes baby born from embryo frozen 31 years ago
An Ohio couple has given birth to a baby boy developed from an embryo that had been frozen for more than 30 years, which their doctor believes may be the longest-known storage time before a successful birth. Lindsey and Tim Pierce, who struggled with infertility for years, turned to embryo adoption in hopes of starting a family. As per CNN, they welcomed a son born from an embryo that had been frozen for 11,148 days. According to Dr. John Gordon of Rejoice Fertility in Knoxville, Tennessee, who oversaw the procedure, that storage time appears to set a new record. What is embryo adoption? Embryo adoption is a process in which individuals or couples adopt donated embryos left over from another couple's in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycle. Unlike traditional adoption, it allows the adoptive mother to carry and give birth to a genetically unrelated child. Although the concept dates back to the 1990s, it remains relatively rare. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 2% of all U.S. births are the result of IVF, and only a small portion of those involve donated embryos. Medical experts estimate that around 1.5 million frozen embryos are currently stored across the country, many in limbo, awaiting a decision from their genetic parents. Some fertility clinics and advocacy groups, particularly Christian-based organizations, have become vocal opponents of discarding frozen embryos, citing a belief that life begins at conception. Among them is Snowflakes Embryo Adoption, a program under Nightlight Christian Adoptions that connects embryo donors and adoptive families. 'These little embryos deserved to live.' Linda Archerd, 62, is the woman who donated the embryos that led to the Pierces' baby. Speaking with The Associated Press, she said, 'I felt all along that these three little hopes, these little embryos, deserved to live just like my daughter did.' Archerd turned to IVF back in 1994. At the time, techniques for freezing, thawing, and transferring embryos were gaining traction and offering hopeful parents more chances at successful pregnancy. She ended up with four embryos but only used one after giving birth to a daughter. Following a divorce, her plans for more children shifted. As decades passed, Archerd said she wrestled with the decision of what to do with the remaining embryos. Storage fees mounted, and the emotional toll weighed heavy. Eventually, she discovered Snowflakes, which helped facilitate an open donation. 'I wanted to be a part of this baby's life,' she said. 'And I wanted to know the adopting parents.' The process wasn't easy. Archerd had to track down her original fertility doctor in Oregon and navigate paper records to prepare the embryos for donation. The embryos were then shipped to Rejoice Fertility in Tennessee — a clinic known for its refusal to discard embryos, even those stored in older and outdated containers. Delicate transfer Of the three embryos Archerd donated, one did not survive the thawing process. The remaining two were transferred into Lindsey Pierce's uterus, and one successfully implanted. Following the birth, Lindsey and Tim Pierce issued a statement through: 'We didn't go into this thinking about records — we just wanted to have a baby.' For Archerd, the outcome has been bittersweet. 'I'm hoping that they're going to send pictures,' she said. 'I'd love to meet them some day. That would be a dream come true to meet — meet them and the baby.' So far, the Pierces have sent several photos since the birth. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Friendship Day wishes , messages and quotes !
Winnipeg Free Press
02-08-2025
- General
- Winnipeg Free Press
Adventures that will last a lifetime at Winkler Bible Camp
For Courtney Hlady, an annual trip to the Winkler Bible Camp is one of her fondest memories growing up. It offered her social experiences to last a lifetime and opened a gateway to learn more about her religion — two things she remains grateful for today. 'Being around kids who were going through the same thing definitely helped strengthen my faith,' Hlady said. 'And even as I got older, even when I'd fall away, being raised in that, when I have hardships, it makes it easier to have something to turn to. I always fall back on my faith.' Supplied Sunshine Fund nine-year-old Austin and eight-year-old Noah, at the Winkler Bible Camp earlier this summer. It was important to Hlady that her children be given the same opportunity. Her sons, nine-year-old Austin and eight-year-old Noah, attended the Winkler Bible Camp earlier this summer, and her daughter, five-year-old Isabella, is set to attend on Monday. 'I think that it's good to go to camps and do Christian-based activities to explore religion, but I mainly send my kids to camp because of the friend aspect and all the fun that they'll have, and then the learning on top of it,' Hlady said. 'It just gives them the chance to explore if they want to believe that there is a God, too, because I think everyone should have that chance.' While some kids can get homesick at summer camps, Hlady said her children can't get enough and have always asked to go back. This year was Austin's third trip and Noah's second, while Isabella will experience it for the first time. The camp is packed with activities, including bouldering, archery, swimming and bike riding, while devotional breaks are a daily occurrence. 'I think it gives them the chance to explore the idea of their faith without having an adult telling them what they need,' Hlady added. 'If there's no parent there, they get to make the choice for themselves.' Sending her kids to camp each year would be difficult for Hlady without the help of the Sunshine Fund. As a single mother, she leans on the organization each year. Camp would normally run her over $1,000, but the assistance from the Sunshine Fund slashed those costs to $280 for all three children. Weekday Mornings A quick glance at the news for the upcoming day. It also helps her save on childcare for a week and work more to provide for her family. 'When my kids were in camp for the week, then I could work pretty much full time and have child care for only one child, whereas all summer long and paying for child care for three. So that also is helpful,' Hlady said. This summer marks the 45th year of the Sunshine Fund helping send Manitoba children to summer camp. Last year, the Sunshine Fund helped 603 children go to 30 camps across Manitoba and Ontario. So far this year, 671 children have signed up, with more applications being processed. This year, there are 31 camps to choose from. Joshua Frey-SamReporter Josh Frey-Sam reports on sports and business at the Free Press. Josh got his start at the paper in 2022, just weeks after graduating from the Creative Communications program at Red River College. He reports primarily on amateur teams and athletes in sports. Read more about Josh. Every piece of reporting Josh produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
IOL News
24-07-2025
- IOL News
Cape Town man who brutally assaulted estranged wife for three days and made her eat her own flesh, loses life sentence appeal
A man who stabbed another will spend the next decade for his crime. Picture: Pexels A man who brutally assaulted and raped his estranged wife over a terrifying three-day ordeal has had his appeal for a lesser sentence rejected by the Cape Town High Court. In November 2022, the father, who has two daughters with his estranged wife, was sentenced to 15 years for attempted murder, alongside a life sentence for rape and sexual assault. The couple's tumultuous relationship began with marriage in 2014 but deteriorated by 2017, plagued by mutual drug abuse and incidents of domestic violence. Sometime in 2019, the wife attended a Christian-based recovery and rehabilitation centre due to her abuse of drugs, specifically Tik. Her children were left with their father but eventually moved to live with their maternal grandfather. In October 2019, she left the rehabilitation centre and sought accommodation with her father, but he was not prepared to accommodate her due to her history of drug use. She then went to her husband's house in Belhar where she sought accommodation on a temporary basis. The couple had no desire to revive their fractured marriage; however, the husband was willing to help her while she searched for work. After a week spent together without incident, she mentioned her intention to return to Ceres to be with her current partner and seek employment there. One afternoon, the husband, who operates a driving school, came home from work empty-handed—no food and no sneakers, the very ones she had requested. She could see that something was off; his demeanor had shifted, and he seemed deeply detached, as if under the influence of drugs. This is when her horrific ordeal began; he went on a three-day torrid campaign of beating her with the cricket bat all over her body, tormented her with false accusations, bashed her head against the floor, and repeatedly raped and sexually assaulted her. Sometimes the rape would take place while she was unconscious. During one of the beatings, her head was cut open and pieces of flesh came out, and he forced her to eat them. She begged him to take her to the clinic, and he assured her he would, but only after dark when it would be less crowded. In a moment of desperation, she vowed to him that she would claim her injuries were the result of a car accident, ensuring he would not be implicated in any way. However, he didn't fulfill his promise to take her to the clinic and also turned down her request for painkillers. Every time he headed out for work, he would lock her inside the house, leaving her without food. On one occasion, he even mentioned that he intended to find a spot to bury her, ensuring she would never be discovered by her family. One time when he left, she discovered that he had not locked the bedroom door from the outside and she realised this was her chance to escape. Feeling weak, she pushed herself up, gripping the cupboards and walls for support. Slowly, she made her way to the window and shouted for help to a neighbour. With trembling hands, she revealed her injuries and urgently disclosed that her husband was trying to kill her. The neighbour dismissed her and said she doesn't have a phone and prefers not to get involved in the couple's disputes. In a desperate attempt, she managed to flag down a young girl on her way to school and the child alerted her mother who then called Belhar police station. However, police claimed that they were too busy as they were attending a shooting in the area. With little help, the woman found her way to safety through a back door and ran into the street, where she unexpectedly encountered her husband's sister. Seeing her in distress, the sister quickly provided her with fresh clothes and gently tended to her injured face. Together, they headed to the home of a neighbour who had previously turned her away, where they contacted her father. Soon after, they made their way to the Belhar police station. After waiting at the police station for nearly two hours with no help, a nurse who happened to be there recognised the seriousness of her medical situation. She quickly alerted the officers and insisted that they take her to the hospital right away. The woman was assisted by a detective from the Delft police station and rushed her to Karl Bremer Hospital.
UPI
17-06-2025
- Politics
- UPI
Supreme Court to hear New Jersey pro-life free speech case
The U.S. Supreme Court agreed Monday to hear a faith-based pregnancy center's request, challenging New Jersey over its claim the pro-life group misled women about offering abortion services. Oral arguments in the case are scheduled for October. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI. | License Photo June 16 (UPI) -- The U.S. Supreme Court agreed Monday to hear a Christian-based pregnancy center's request, challenging New Jersey over its claim the pro-life group misled women about offering abortion services. The Supreme Court will decide later this year whether First Choice Women's Resource Centers can use federal courts to block the state's attorney general from investigating its donor, advertising and medical personnel records. First Choice, which provides parenting classes and free ultrasounds to women facing unplanned pregnancies, claims a 2023 subpoena violated its free speech rights. Attorney General Matthew Platkin "has made no secret of his hostility towards pregnancy centers," the pro-life group wrote in its petition to the Supreme Court, as it called Platkin's subpoena "invasive" for demanding access to records. "State attorneys general on both sides of the political aisle have been accused of misusing this authority to issue demands against their ideological and political opponents," lawyers for First Choice wrote. "Even if these accusations turn out to be false, it is important that a federal forum exists for suits challenging those investigative demands." Platkin argues that the subpoena he issued has yet to be enforced in state court. He also said the donor information he sought was from two websites, which he claimed may have misled people into thinking First Choice provided abortions. "Nonprofits, including crisis pregnancy centers, may not deceive or defraud residents in our state, and we may exercise our traditional investigative authority to ensure that they are not doing so -- as we do to protect New Jerseyans from a range of harms," Platkin wrote in a statement. The Supreme Court will focus on whether First Choice sued prematurely, not whether New Jersey's subpoena was valid, according to Platkin. "First Choice is looking for a special exception from the usual procedural rules as it tries to avoid complying with an entirely lawful state subpoena," Platkin added. "No industry is entitled to that type of special treatment -- period." Lawyers for First Choice said the group is not seeking special treatment and believes their free speech rights are being targeted. "New Jersey's attorney general is targeting First Choice simply because of its pro-life views," Alliance Defending Freedom Senior Counsel Erin Hawley said in a statement. "The Constitution protects First Choice and its donors from unjustified demands to disclose their identities, and First Choice is entitled to vindicate those rights in federal court." Oral arguments in the case are scheduled for October. "We are looking forward to presenting our case to the Supreme Court and urging it to hold that First Choice has the same right to federal court as any other civil rights plaintiff," Hawley added. "The First Amendment protects First Choice's right to freely speak about its beliefs, exercise its faith, associate with like-minded individuals and organizations, and continue to provide its free services in a caring and compassionate environment to people facing unplanned pregnancies."
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
York teenagers prepare to fly 6,000 miles for East Africa volunteer work
TEENAGERS from a York school are preparing to fly more than 6,000 miles to do community and volunteer work in East Africa. Nineteen students from Archbishop Holgate's School are embarking on the once-in-a-lifetime trip to Uganda after raising thousands of pounds to cover the costs. Pupils from Years 9, 11 and 12 are going on the adventure in early July for two weeks, travelling with the Christian-based charity Abaana which invests in children in Africa, helping them to break the chains of poverty through education. The group will undertake a range of volunteer work, which will include painting both the inside and outside of a primary school building. School show, The Masked Singer, helped boost their fundraising efforts (Image: Submitted)They will also be teaching and running a range of activities and experiences for primary school children in the town of Kuluba, a sub-county in the Koboko district of Uganda. Group members are paying for their own flights, accommodation and food and will be staying in one of Abaana's guesthouses on the outskirts of Kampala. They have also raised money for the renovation materials for the primary school and to buy resources and gifts to take on the adventure. Each student threw themselves into a range of challenges, including scaling great heights and throwing themselves out of a plane, to bring in the pounds. RECOMMENDED READS: Fantastic news' as more than 5,000 children eligible for free school meals 'The world is changing': head at top York school joins others in smartphone plea New light show to bring vibrant colour to Museum Gardens Joanna Kitney, assistant headteacher and trip lead, said: "It's been so impressive to see them working hard to ensure we meet our aim. 'Brodie Barrow cycled a mile a day for a month, Oscar East has been sorting and selling items on EBay, Reuben Stockdale and Miles Hall walked the Three Peaks. 'Charlie Summers has completed a sponsored bike ride, Charlotte Brannan and Dora Escombe have been busy making and selling homemade products to family and friends and Bryn Wade did a parachute jump.' As a team, the group has also run whole school events which included The Masked Singer show in December and a school disco in April. Collectively both events made more than £1,000. Students who helped to organise the fundraising school disco (Image: Submitted) The group also has a JustGiving page which has received more than £2,400 in donations. To donate to the students' fundraising efforts, visit It is not the first time students from Archbishop Holgate's School have travelled to far-flung destinations to do overseas volunteer work. Back in 2012, pupils from the school, which is named after one of the city's most famous clerics, went to South Africa to do community and voluntary work in schools and orphanages. The group of ten Year Ten students were joined by teachers Richard Nihill and Hannah Turvey as they visited the Diocese of Cape Town for two weeks, and got the chance to meet the city's Nobel Prize-winning former archbishop, Desmond Tutu who was taking a small service at the city's cathedral.
