Overview

• Thaddeus Daniel Pierce arrived in Ohio on July 26 from an embryo cryopreserved since May 1994, establishing a new record for longest-stored embryo to yield a live birth.
• The embryo was originally one of four created via IVF for Linda Archerd in 1994, with a sibling born that year and three embryos placed in long-term storage.
• Archerd entrusted her embryos to Nightlight Christian Adoptions’ Snowflakes program and specified a married Caucasian Christian couple, leading to Lindsey and Tim Pierce’s selection.
• In November 2024, two embryos were transferred at Rejoice Fertility Clinic in Tennessee and one developed successfully into baby Thaddeus.
• The milestone is prompting renewed scrutiny of cryopreservation durability, management of millions of surplus embryos and ethical questions around donor-specified matching criteria.