They’re calling him the “world’s oldest baby”—and honestly, it’s hard not to stare at the headline in disbelief. Thaddeus Daniel Pierce made his debut in Ohio last week, but here’s the kicker: the embryo he came from was frozen way back in May of 1994. That’s before DVDs, before Friends, even before the O.J. trial.
Thaddeus was born July 26 to Lindsey and Tim Pierce, who live out in London, Ohio. Lindsey’s 34, Tim’s 35. They went through adopted-IVF, which, if you haven’t gone down that rabbit hole, is adopting an embryo that someone else created and then froze for future use.
Ohio Couple Welcomes ‘World’s Oldest Baby’
Lindsey told MIT Tech Review that Thaddeus’ arrival wasn’t exactly a walk in the park, but both mom and baby are on the mend. “He is so chill,” Lindsey said. “We’re in awe that we have this precious baby!” If you can’t feel her joy through the words, I don’t know what to tell you.
Here’s a mind-bender: technically, Thaddeus has a 30-year-old sister. Lindsey pointed out that Tim, the dad, was just a little kid himself when the embryo that became their son was being put on ice. Talk about a time warp.
The whole embryo adoption thing? The Pierces said they had no idea it even existed. “We thought it was wild,” Lindsey admitted. “We didn’t know they froze embryos that long ago.” And it’s not like they were chasing headlines or records—they just wanted a kid.
How did it all happen?
The embryos originally belonged to Lydia Archerd, now 62. She and her husband froze four embryos in the early ’90s after struggling with infertility.
One of those embryos became Lydia’s daughter in 1994. The other three? They stayed frozen, with Lydia paying a thousand bucks a year to keep them in storage. She called them her “three little hopes,” which is both heartbreaking and kind of beautiful.
Life being what it is, Lydia and her husband eventually divorced, and she never had another child. After menopause, she decided to donate the embryos, but she wanted to know who’d be raising her genetic kids. So she went the “embryo adoption” route through Nightlight Christian Adoptions, which lets donors meet the recipient families.
Now, Lydia’s gearing up to meet Thaddeus in person. She’s already spotted a family resemblance. “The first thing I noticed when Lindsey sent me his pictures is how much he looks like my daughter when she was a baby,” Lydia said. She even compared old baby photos side by side and swears the likeness is uncanny. “There’s no doubt they are siblings.”
