Ohio Couple Welcomes World’s Oldest Baby
Tim and Lindsey Pierce have made history. Their son, Thaddeus Daniel Pierce, was born on July 26 from an embryo frozen for more than 30 years—the longest known successful embryo freeze in the world.
To put this in perspective, Tim and Lindsey were toddlers when the embryo was first created.
A Journey That Began in 1994
The story starts with Linda Archerd, now 62, who underwent IVF in 1994. She and her husband created four embryos. One became their daughter, while the other three—dubbed the “three little hopes”—were frozen and stored for decades.
After reaching menopause and separating from her partner, Linda decided to donate the embryos. Several clinics had refused them due to their age, but eventually, they were accepted into a program for hard-to-match embryos.
Matching Through Adoption
Tim and Lindsey, struggling to conceive, were matched with Linda’s embryo through the Open Hearts program, run by Nightlight Christian Adoptions.
“We’d been trying for children for a while after we got married,” Lindsey said. “We explored adoption and discovered the Snowflakes embryo adoption program. We thought, ‘why not?’ It’s faster and more affordable than other options.”
Within two years, the couple welcomed Thaddeus into their lives. Lindsey described the experience as “like something from a sci-fi movie.”
Breaking Records
Thaddeus’s birth set a new record for the longest-frozen embryo to result in a live birth. The previous record belonged to twins born in 2022 from embryos frozen in 1992.
Sharing the Story with Thaddeus
Tim and Lindsey plan to tell Thaddeus about his historic beginnings as he grows.
“Snowflakes encourages open adoption,” Lindsey explained. “We’ll start by explaining it at his level and gradually share more. We’re in contact with Linda, and we hope she can be part of his story. One day, we hope to meet her in person.”
Tim added, “We’ll show him some of the old articles when he’s old enough to understand what they say.”
A Message of Hope
Beyond sharing their son’s story, the couple encourages families struggling with fertility.
Lindsey said, “Don’t give up hope. It may not look the way you expect, but there is always hope.”
Thaddeus’s birth is a reminder that science, love, and patience can create miracles—even decades in the making.
