Newborn Boy Breaks Record as Longest-Frozen Embryo at 30 Years
It’s estimated that there are more than 1.5 million frozen embryos in the U.S., but only a small portion of those that remain unused are donated to other couples in need. Now, as reported by the MIT Technology Review, an Ohio couple has made medical history by welcoming a baby boy who was born from a 30-year-old embryo.
New parents Lindsey and Tim Pierce “adopted” the embryo from 62-year-old Linda Archerd, who had undergone IVF in the early 90s with her then-husband. Their fertility efforts resulted in a daughter, now 30, but Archerd still had three embryos remaining. After her divorce, she retained custody of the embryos and continued to pay the annual storage fee. However, as she neared menopause, she grappled with her next steps.
Wishing to eventually meet the child born, she opted against anonymous donation and learned about embryo “adoption.” In this framework, mainly managed by Christian organizations, donors can influence where their embryo is placed. Despite this, there were concerns about taking embryos created in 1994 due to uncertainties surrounding their viability and successful implantation.
Ultimately, Archerd discovered the Snowflakes program, operated by the Nightlight Christian Adoptions agency, which agreed to accept her embryos. Simultaneously, the Pierces, who had been on their fertility journey for seven years, also joined the program and were later matched with Archerd.
“We thought it was incredible,” Lindsey shares. “We had no idea they had frozen embryos that long ago.”
Since implanting a 30-year-old embryo can be a complicated procedure depending on how it was stored, the Pierces registered with a Tennessee IVF clinic specializing in this process. Led by reproductive endocrinologist Dr. John Gordon, the clinic strives to minimize the number of embryos kept in storage.
Of Archerd’s three frozen embryos, two were still viable and transferred to Lindsey. One was successfully implanted, leading to Thaddeus Daniel Pierce, a healthy baby boy born on July 26, 2025. He now holds the title of the “oldest baby,” as his embryo was created when his parents were little more than toddlers.
Though Archerd has yet to meet Thaddeus, the Pierces have sent her photos. “The first thing I noticed when Lindsey sent me his pictures is how much he resembles my daughter as a baby,” she says. “I pulled out my baby book and compared them side by side, and there is no doubt they are siblings.”
While the world record is intriguing, for the Pierces, it remains secondary. “We just wanted to have a baby.”
Source: Exclusive: [A record-breaking baby has been born from an embryo that’s over 30 years old](https://www.technologyreview.com/2025/07/29/1120769/exclusive-record-breaking-baby-born-embryo-over-30-years-old/#:~:text=A%20baby%20boy%20born%20over,%22He%20is%20so%20chill.)
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