Historic Birth from a Decades-Old Embryo
A boy born in Ohio made headlines recently as the “oldest baby in the world,” emerging from an embryo that had been frozen for over 30 years.
Thaddeus Daniel Pierce arrived on July 26 to parents Lindsay and Tim Pierce. What sets Thaddeus apart is that his embryo was frozen since 1994, when Linda Archeld, now 62, underwent in vitro fertilization (IVF) to address fertility challenges. This cycle generated four embryos, of which one led to the birth of a daughter, now 30, while the others were preserved for possible future implantation.
After her divorce, Archeld came to hold the custody of the embryos. She later discovered the concept of embryo “adoption,” allowing donors and recipients to agree on who could use the embryos. It was during this process that a white Christian couple expressed their interest in adopting her embryo.
“We weren’t focusing on breaking any records,” Lindsay Pierce shared. “Our main goal was simply to have a baby.”
Despite the difficulties surrounding the birth, both mothers and their newborns are doing well. Lindsay describes Thaddeus as a gentle baby, and both parents are amazed by their new arrival.
Archeld observed striking resemblances between Thaddeus and her own daughter during their infancy. “The moment I received a photo of him from Lindsay, my first thought was how similar he looked to my daughter as a baby,” she recalled. “I even dug out baby books to compare. It’s clear they’re siblings.”
The embryo transfer occurred at a fertility clinic overseen by reproductive endocrinologist John Gordon, who aims to decrease the number of stored embryos. Gordon’s clinic operates under principles influenced by his reformed Presbyterian faith, which emphasizes that every embryo deserves the chance at life and should be welcomed into loving families.
