An American couple has welcomed a baby boy from an embryo frozen in 1994, potentially making him the world’s “oldest baby” born from the longest-preserved embryo on record.
Thaddeus Daniel Pierce was born on July 26 to Lindsey and Tim Pierce of London, Ohio — 31 years after the embryo was created through IVF and frozen.
After struggling with infertility for seven years, the Pierces turned to embryo adoption through Nightlight Christian Adoptions’ Snowflakes program. The embryo they adopted was originally created by Linda Archerd and her then-husband in 1994. One of the four embryos led to the birth of Archerd’s daughter, now 30, while the remaining three were kept in storage.
“We had a rough birth, but we’re both doing well now,” Lindsey Pierce told MIT Technology Review. “We are in awe that we have this precious baby.”
Though unaware they might break a record, the Pierces’ decision to adopt the embryo has now drawn international attention. The previous record was held by twins born in 2022 from embryos frozen for 30 years.
For Linda Archerd, donating the embryos came with conditions. She insisted on choosing the adoptive family, emphasizing that the child would be a biological sibling to her daughter. “It’s my DNA … and my daughter’s sibling,” she said.
Archerd, who spent thousands annually on storage fees, chose to work with the Snowflakes program, which allows donors to select adoptive families based on values such as faith and background. She requested a married, Christian, Caucasian couple living in the U.S.
“It’s surreal,” Archerd said of the birth. “It’s hard to believe.” She has not yet met baby Thaddeus.
Independent UK