An Ohio couple welcomed a baby boy from an embryo frozen for more than 30 years, setting what may be a new world record.
Lindsey (35) and Tim Pierce (34) became parents to their son, Thaddeus Daniel Pierce, on Saturday, July 26. Speaking with MIT Technology Review, Lindsey said the experience “felt like something out of a science fiction movie.”
Oldest Frozen Embryo Leads to Record-Breaking Birth
Experts say this is the oldest known frozen embryo to result in a successful birth, breaking the previous record set in 2022 by twins conceived from embryos frozen in 1992.
The Pierces had struggled with infertility for seven years before choosing to adopt an embryo created in 1994 through in vitro fertilization by Linda Archerd, now 62, and her then-husband.
After her marriage ended, Archerd chose not to discard the embryos, donate them for research, or release them anonymously. She explained that staying connected to the child mattered to her, especially so the baby could share a bond with her adult daughter.
For years, Archerd spent thousands annually to keep the embryos in storage until she discovered Nightlight Christian Adoptions, a faith-based agency that runs the Snowflakes embryo adoption program—often described by such groups as “life-saving.”
Donor Chooses Adoptive Couple Based on Faith and Background
Through this program, donors can select recipients based on factors such as religion, race, and nationality. Archerd requested a married, Caucasian Christian couple within the United States, explaining to MIT Technology Review that she didn’t want the embryos to “leave the country.” In the end, she matched with Lindsey and Tim Pierce.
The Pierces underwent the transfer at Rejoice Fertility IVF Clinic in Tennessee. Lindsey emphasized that their goal was never to set records—they simply “wanted to have a baby.”
Although Archerd has yet to meet the newborn in person, she told MIT Technology Review she already notices similarities to her own daughter.
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