A few days ago, a baby was born after developing from an embryo that had remained frozen for more than 30 years. This is believed to be the longest period an embryo has ever spent in cryopreservation before resulting in a live birth, setting a new world record.
On July 26, 2025, in the state of Ohio, a couple welcomed a baby conceived from embryos that had been frozen decades earlier. Through a process known as embryo adoption, Lindsey and Tim Pierce used embryos that had originally been created and donated back in 1994.
The couple turned to embryo adoption after years of struggling with infertility and searching for a way to have a child of their own. Their journey culminated on July 26, 2025, when baby Thaddeus Daniel Pierce was born, marking a historic milestone in reproductive medicine.
A Story That Began 30 Years Ago
The story traces back to the early 1990s, when Linda Archerd had been trying unsuccessfully to conceive for six years. Together with her husband at the time, she decided to try in vitro fertilization (IVF), which was still a relatively new and less widely understood technology.
In May 1994, doctors were able to create four embryos through IVF. One of them was transferred to Linda’s uterus and resulted in the birth of a healthy baby girl. The remaining three embryos were cryopreserved and stored in a medical storage tank, where they would remain frozen for decades.
The daughter grew up and is now a mother herself, with a 10-year-old child. Meanwhile, the three remaining embryos stayed frozen. Linda initially planned to use them to have more children, but life circumstances changed. After divorcing her husband, she gained full custody of the embryos and considered having more children with a future partner. However, personal, emotional, and practical obstacles eventually led her to reconsider.
The Decision to Donate the Embryos
As storage fees continued to increase over the years, Linda began searching for alternatives. That search led her to Snowflakes, a program run by Nightlight Christian Adoptions, which facilitates embryo adoption. The organization offers open adoption options, allowing donors to set preferences regarding the families who may adopt their embryos.
Although the process was complex and emotionally challenging, Linda ultimately decided to donate her three embryos to Lindsey and Tim Pierce. One embryo did not survive the thawing process. Of the two that were transferred to Lindsey’s uterus, only one successfully implanted and continued to develop.
According to Dr. John David Gordon, the transfer of an embryo that had been frozen for nearly 31 years resulted in the longest-known cryopreservation period to end in a live birth. Dr. Gordon noted that his clinic had also been involved in the previous record, when Lydia and Timothy Ridgeway were born from embryos that had been frozen for 30 years, or 10,905 days.
“I think these stories really capture people’s imagination,” Gordon said. “But they also raise important questions: why are so many embryos still in storage, and how did we reach this point?”
A Record-Breaking Birth With Deep Emotional Meaning
The birth of Thaddeus Daniel Pierce officially sets a new record. However, Lindsey Pierce emphasized that breaking records was never their intention. “We didn’t do this to set a record,” she said. “We just wanted to have a baby.”
For Linda Archerd, the process was an emotional roller coaster. She felt relief knowing her embryos had finally found a home, sadness that she could not carry the pregnancy herself, and anxiety mixed with hope about meeting the Pierce family and the baby in person.
“I hope they send me pictures,” she shared, noting that the parents have already sent several photos since the birth. “I would love to meet them someday. It would be a dream come true to meet them and the baby.”
This extraordinary birth not only highlights advances in reproductive technology, but also raises ethical, emotional, and social questions about embryo preservation, adoption, and the long-term impact of fertility treatments that began decades ago.
