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New Delhi: A baby boy born in Ohio may now hold the title of the world’s oldest embryo brought to life, after being delivered from one that was frozen back in 1994. Thaddeus Daniel Pierce was born on July 26 to Lindsey and Tim Pierce, thanks to an embryo preserved three decades earlier. Created during an IVF attempt by Linda Archerd and her then-husband in the early ’90s, the embryo was one of four produced. One embryo was implanted in Archerd, resulting in the birth of her daughter, now 30 years old. The remaining three were frozen and kept in storage.
After her divorce, Archerd retained legal rights to the embryos. Years later, she explored the option of embryo donation — often termed “embryo adoption” — allowing her to select recipients who shared her values. She eventually chose Lindsey and Tim Pierce, a white, Christian couple, to receive one of the remaining embryos.
Lindsey said their focus was never on breaking records but simply on expanding their family. Despite complications during delivery, both mother and baby are healthy. “He’s a calm, sweet baby. We’re just overwhelmed with gratitude,” she shared.
Archerd was struck by the striking resemblance between Thaddeus and her daughter as a newborn. “I looked through her baby photos, and it was like seeing the same child again,” she said.
The embryo transfer was conducted by a clinic led by Dr. John Gordon, a reproductive endocrinologist guided by his religious beliefs. He expressed that every embryo, regardless of age, deserves the chance to grow into life. “The only embryo that won’t become a baby is the one that never gets a chance,” he noted.
IVF has become increasingly common across the globe. In the UK, around 3% of births now result from IVF, while in the US, about 2% of children are born through this technology. Especially in the case of older women aged 40-44, IVF reliance has inflated in the last two decades.
