Lindsey Pierce, 35, and her husband Tim Pierce, 34, from London, Ohio, are now celebrating the arrival of their son, baby Thaddeus, who entered the world on July 26, according to MIT Technology Review.

This photo provided by Rejoice and John David Gordon on July 31, 2025, shows Thaddeus Pierce.

An Ohio couple has revealed that they welcomed a healthy baby boy born from an embryo that had been frozen for more than three decades—a remarkable milestone in reproductive medicine that is capturing headlines around the globe.

The Pierces shared with the publication that they had struggled for seven long years to conceive before they finally decided to “adopt” an embryo through a specialized embryo adoption agency. This agency helps match unused embryos with prospective parents who are hoping to build their families.

The embryo the Pierces adopted was originally created through in vitro fertilization (IVF) back in 1994, making it older than many of today’s prospective parents themselves, according to MIT Technology Review.

In the IVF procedure, doctors stimulate ovulation and collect mature eggs from a patient’s ovaries. The eggs are then fertilized with sperm in a laboratory dish. Any resulting embryos can be transferred into the patient’s uterus to attempt a pregnancy or frozen and preserved in cryogenic storage for years—or even decades—to come, as explained by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

This photo provided by Rejoice and John David Gordon shows Tim and Lindsey Pierce in November 2024 at Rejoice Fertility in Knoxville, Tenn.

After undergoing a successful embryo transfer using their adopted embryo, Lindsey Pierce became pregnant and carried Thaddeus to term without reported complications.

ABC News medical contributor Dr. Alok Patel, who did not participate in Lindsey Pierce’s treatment, explained that the embryo’s age does not automatically mean higher risks for the baby.

“If these eggs are frozen properly and they are thawed and pass screening, they can be just as healthy as an embryo created today,” said Patel, who is a board-certified pediatrician.

The Pierces were not available for direct comment to ABC News, but in a statement shared with The Associated Press on Friday, the couple emphasized that their journey was driven purely by the desire to become parents, not by any intention of setting records.

“We didn’t go into this thinking about records — we just wanted to have a baby,” Lindsey Pierce said, according to the AP.

Experts say this extraordinary case highlights how advances in fertility preservation and embryo storage are reshaping what is possible for hopeful families around the world.