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(NewsNation) — An Ohio couple has welcomed a baby boy born from a 30-year-old embryo in what is believed to be the longest storage time before a birth.
Through what's known as embryo adoption, Lindsey and Tim Pierce used a handful of donated embryos that had been frozen since 1994, hoping to have a child after fighting infertility for years.
The Pierces received the embryos from 62-year-old Linda Archerd, who underwent in vitro fertilization therapy in the '90s.
Their son, Thaddeus, was born July 26 from an embryo that had been in storage for 11,148 days, which the Pierces’ doctor says sets a record.
"I just think that God had him in store for us," Tim Pierce told "Morning in America" on Friday. "He held onto him just for us, on reserve."
Lindsey Pierce said they used the Open Hearts program to select their embryos.
"You pick embryos that are older or might not be picked for other reasons," she said. "We just decided, why not? We believe in life at conception, so we'll just give it a chance and see what happens."
'I wanted to be part of this baby's life': Embryo donor
After turning to IVF in 1994, Archerd ended up with four embryos and initially hoped to use them all. However, she eventually found Snowflakes, a division of Nightlight Christian Adoptions, which offers open adoptions to donors. She was also able to set preferences for which families would adopt her embryos.
"I wanted to be part of this baby's life," she told the Associated Press. "I wanted to know the adopting parents."
Of the three donated embryos the Pierces received from Archerd, one didn’t make the thaw. Two were transferred to Lindsey Pierce’s womb, but just one successfully implanted.
According to Dr. John David Gordon, the transfer of the nearly 31-year-old embryo marks the longest-frozen embryo to result in a live birth. He would know: Gordon said his clinic assisted in the previous record, when Lydia and Timothy Ridgeway were born from embryos frozen for 30 years, or 10,905 days.
The Pierces said they've been in contact with Archerd throughout their journey and hope to one day meet.
This photo provided by Rejoice and John David Gordon on July 31, 2025, shows Thaddeus Pierce. (Rejoice and John David Gordon via AP)
This image provided by Rejoice and John David Gordon, shows the two embryos on Nov. 14, 2024, that survived being frozen for thirty years. (Rejoice and John David Gordon via AP)
This photo provided by Rejoice and John David Gordon shows Tim and Lindsey Pierce in November 2024 at Rejoice Fertility in Knoxville, Tenn. (Rejoice and John David Gordon via AP)
What is embryo adoption?
Embryo adoption involves using donated embryos to help couples struggling with infertility.
It’s a concept that has been around since the 1990s but is gaining traction as some fertility clinics and advocates, often Christian-centered, oppose discarding leftover embryos because of their belief that life begins at or around conception.
“I felt all along that these three little hopes, these little embryos, deserved to live just like my daughter did,” Archerd told the Associated Press.
Just about 2% of births in the United States are the result of IVF, and an even smaller fraction involve donated embryos.
However, medical experts estimate about 1.5 million frozen embryos are currently being stored throughout the country, with many of those in limbo as parents wrestle with what to do with their leftover embryos created in IVF labs.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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