Overview

• Thaddeus Daniel Pierce arrived on July 26 in Knoxville, Tennessee, after spending more than 11,000 days in liquid nitrogen
• The embryo transfer at Rejoice Fertility Clinic was overseen by Dr. John Gordon, whose practice accepts even the most geriatric embryos under refined vitrification protocols
• Donor Linda Archerd entrusted her surplus embryos to Nightlight Christian Adoptions’ Snowflakes Open Hearts program in 2022, matching her donation with recipients Lindsey and Tim Pierce
• Despite a challenging delivery, both mother and baby are in good health, with Lindsey describing Thaddeus as remarkably calm
• The milestone has intensified debate over U.S. policies that allow roughly 1.5 million embryos to remain in indefinite storage without federal time limits