Hannah Strege, First 'Snowflake Baby,' Advocates for Embryo Personhood

Hannah Strege, widely recognized as the world’s first "snowflake baby," is speaking out against the characterization of frozen embryos as property. Born in 1998 after being adopted as a frozen embryo, Strege recently responded to social media criticism that labeled her as "donated property" rather than a person. She maintains that her life began as a human being, not as a commodity, and asserts that her identity was never defined by the laboratory number she was assigned before birth.

Strege’s story originated from her parents' decision to adopt an embryo left over from an in vitro fertilization (IVF) process. She now advocates for the recognition of human dignity from the moment of conception, arguing that the existence of over one million frozen embryos in the United States represents a significant ethical crisis. By sharing her personal history, Strege challenges the view that embryos lack human status, emphasizing her belief that every individual possesses inherent worth regardless of their size or the circumstances of their early development.