Ângela Ferreira, an advocate for posthumous insemination rights in Portugal, recently gave birth to Guilherme.
She utilized the cryopreserved semen of her husband, who passed away from cancer in 2019.
Ferreira shared her joy on her Instagram, expressing gratitude to her late husband and the overwhelming support she received from the community.
Ferreira’s journey started after her husband, Hugo, died in 2019, having left written wishes for her to conceive using his stored semen.
Her story gained traction in 2020 through a documentary series, prompting over 100,000 people to sign a petition advocating for the legalization of posthumous insemination.
After considerable discussion in the parliament and overcoming a presidential veto, the practice became legal in Portugal in November 2021.
By February 2023, Ferreira announced her pregnancy on social media.
The law now allows a woman to be inseminated with her deceased partner’s genetic material, given clear prior consent, within a timeframe of six months to three years post-demise.
If successful, the child is legally recognized as the offspring of the deceased.