In a shocking medical milestone, a baby boy born in Ohio has unofficially set the world record for the “oldest baby ever born” after being delivered from an embryo that was frozen 31 years ago, in 1994.
Thaddeus Daniel Pierce was born on July 26 to Lindsey and Tim Pierce, a couple from London, Ohio, who had spent over seven years trying to conceive before deciding to adopt an embryo through in vitro fertilization (IVF).
“We had a rough birth, but we are both doing well now. He is so chill. We are in awe that we have this precious baby,” Lindsey told MIT Technology Review.
While the Pierces didn’t intend to make history, their son has reportedly surpassed the previous record held by twins born in 2022 from embryos frozen in 1992.
The embryo adopted by the Pierces was created in 1994 by Linda Archerd, now 62, and her then-husband. Of the four embryos created at the time:
- One became Linda’s daughter, now 30 years old
- Three were cryopreserved and stored for decades
Linda, even after separating from her husband, chose not to discard or anonymously donate the embryos. Instead, she kept them in storage reportedly spending thousands of dollars annually until she found Nightlight Christian Adoptions, a faith-based agency running the Snowflakes Embryo Adoption Program.
Through Snowflakes, she was able to select a couple based on specific preferences, including faith, race, marital status, and location. Linda specifically requested a married, Caucasian, Christian couple living in the United States.
“It’s my DNA. It came from me… and it’s my daughter’s sibling,” she said, explaining why it was crucial to be involved in the adoption process.
The couple’s church community and family members are reportedly in awe of the situation, likening it to something from a science fiction movie. Even Ms. Archerd, who has not yet met the newborn, said the entire experience felt “pretty surreal.”
With the growing popularity of embryo adoption and increasing advances in cryopreservation technology, medical professionals believe stories like this may become more common.
