Putting a Human Face on the Debate Over Embryonic Stem Cell Research.

To Steve and Kate Johnson, the debate over embryonic stem cell research is embodied in one angelic face: their daughter Zara. Zara lived for four years as a frozen embryo before the Johnsons adopted her, gave her a home in Kate's womb, and brought her to birth. Now she is a bubbly two-year-old, fulfilling the promise that once lay suspended in an in vitro fertilization lab.

The Johnsons, who live in Reading, Pennsylvania, testified in early March before a Maryland House committee considering two bills: one to fund lethal research on embryos just like Zara once was, and one to ban cloning of human beings for research. The family's views on this are even more compelling because Steve has been paralyzed since a bicycle accident in 1993.

Proponents of embryonic research claim that destroying embryos is justified if the research leads to treatments for disabled Americans like Steve. "But it comes down to a simple question: would I trade Zara's life for my ability to walk?" he told NRL News.

Zara sat on her dad's lap during his testimony, giving committee members a direct view of the children whose fate they were deciding through their votes.

"Sitting right in front of them was a blond-haired little girl, drawing pictures, who was adopted as an embryo," Steve said. "Whether the embryo is already created via in vitro or whether you create the embryo in a lab, the genetic blueprint is already there. It's not a dog, not a fish - - it's a human embryo."

The Johnsons decided to adopt a frozen embryo after they heard a radio report about the Snowflakes adoption program begun by Nightlight Christian Adoptions in 1997. Since Steve's paralysis made a conventional pregnancy risky, they decided to give an already-existing embryo the chance for life. In July 2002, Zara became the 14th Snowflake baby to be born to adoptive parents through the program.

The process of a frozen embryo adoption is much the same as a traditional one. The Johnsons filled out a questionnaire and ...