The Embryo Adoption Podcast

After 60 "no's" through domestic adoption and years of walking through infertility, Jonathan and Kori Gallagher found their way to embryo adoption — and to the NEDC in Knoxville. In this Season 6 finale, the Gallaghers open up about the grief of infertility, the leap of faith that led them to embryo adoption, and the overwhelming joy of welcoming their two children, Saylor and KJ. They share candid thoughts on attachment, the unexpected gift of an open adoption relationship with their donor family, and how they're already starting honest conversations with their kids about their story. 

🎙️ This episode wraps Season 6 of The Embryo Adoption Podcast — we'll be back in January 2027 with new episodes. In the meantime, catch up on episodes you may have missed!

Holly Townsend knows firsthand what it feels like to grieve alone — miscarriage, years of infertility, and the silence of people who just didn't know what to say. Many embryo adoption families can relate. In this episode, she shares how turning to Scripture became her anchor, and how that journey led her to write God's Guidance in Grief, a Bible study for women navigating pregnancy loss and infertility. She also opens up about IVF, embryo donation, and the daughter born to her on Mother's Day weekend. 

When NEDC embryo adoption mom Rachel Granado couldn't find the right book to tell her daughter her story, she wrote one. In this episode, Rachel shares her path from unexplained infertility and IVF to embryo adoption through the NEDC — and the moment, holding her newborn, when the words for Love Brought You Here came to her. A beautiful conversation about faith, family, and making sure every child knows how loved they are.

Canadians Mitchell and Lindsay Fehr weren't looking for embryo adoption — God kept bringing it to them. Three strangers, one road trip, and a divine encounter at Focus on the Family later, they were all in. Today they're holding twins Theo and Eden, frozen for 21 years. This episode is their incredible story of God's faithfulness to bruised & battered hearts.

What do you do when you already have four kids but still feel like your family isn't finished? For Joshua and Abigail Koehler, the answer came through a Facebook article, a lot of prayer, and the NEDC. They're now parents to 22-month-old twin girls born through NEDC embryo adoption. In this episode, they share what it felt like to want more when they already had so much, how their older kids reacted, what the NICU experience was really like, and why they'd tell any couple on the fence to just keep walking through the doors God opens.  

After failed adoption attempts — including bringing a baby home from the hospital, only to have him returned — Sean and his wife Amber heard about NEDC embryo adoption and decided to try one more time. This episode is their story: the fundraising, the hormone injections, transfer day in Knoxville, and what it felt like when it didn't work. It's honest, it's hopeful, and it ends with a direct challenge to Christian couples who are wondering if embryo adoption could be for them. 

Can IVF ever be done ethically? The EA Podcast isn't dodging the question — and may challenge what you've assumed. This episode also walks through the full NEDC adoption process: application, home study, medical clearance, and the unexpectedly emotional experience of browsing embryo profiles. If you've ever wondered what embryo adoption actually involves, this is the episode to share. 

What happens to frozen embryos that IVF families never use? In this portion of the National Embryo Donation Center's interview on the Room for Nuance podcast, learn about a problem few in the fertility industry want to talk about — and the Christian ministry that stepped in to do something about it. This episode covers what the NEDC is, how embryo adoption works as a rescue mission, and the staggering scale of frozen human life waiting for a family. 

A Match.com message. A Facebook Live wedding during COVID. A zero sperm count diagnosis. And then — twin boys. Gregory and Jennifer File's path to parenthood was anything but conventional, but they'll tell you every detour was part of God's plan. In this episode of the Embryo Adoption Podcast, hear how embryo adoption gave them the family they'd always prayed for. 

 After receiving their infertility diagnosis the day before Christmas Eve, Brett and Erika Hamoen faced a year of deep grieving before discovering embryo adoption through the NEDC. In this heartfelt conversation, they discuss the challenges of being a Canadian couple pursuing embryo adoption, the hostile adoption training environment they avoided, and the incredible moment when Eloise entered the world.