Elizabeth Jordan Carr

Personal

Notable

First test-tube baby born in United States to schoolteacher mom whose fallopian tubes had been removed. Fertilization took place 4/15/1981 between 13:00 to 18:00 EST and the implant was 4/17/1981 at 12:01 EST. At 17, she is a pretty and normal teenager looking at her choices in colleges. She is interested in broadcast journalism; the subject herself of many interviews from the time of her birth, which made history. At 19, she was enrolled in Simmons College in Boston, holding a spot on the rowing team. The delivery itself was more like a military operation. A cold and foggy day, the entire wing of the hospital shut down and special passes required for entry. While protesters picketed outside, the blue eyed and dark haired baby was delivered by a planned c-section. When she was about three and asked where babies came from, her folks explained that "they still used all of their own parts but needed very special doctors to put it together." In the 5th grade, when the teacher gave a "facts of life" lecture, Elizabeth raised her hand and said, "It's not always like that." There was never any secrecy or embarrassment, but a celebration of life. She was the first of thousands of petri-dish babies born in the U.S.