The birth of their son, Thaddeus Daniel Pierce, has made news in Ohio. The infant was born through an adoption of a frozen embryo. The embryo had been frozen since 1994. This amazing moment is the longest time known to have passed between freezing an embryo and having a successful live delivery.
Tim Pierce, 34, and Lindsey, 35, never thought they would be part of a world record. The trip was never about getting notoriety for them; it was just about finally becoming parents after years of trying. “It seems like something out of a sci-fi movie,” Lindsey commented, thinking about how strange their story was.
This milestone is better than the last one, which was set in 2022 when twins were born from embryos that had been frozen in 1992. Thaddeus’s birth shows that, with the correct care and intention, embryos that are decades old can nevertheless give life.
Why did the embryo stay frozen for so long?
Linda Archerd and her then-husband used IVF to get pregnant in 1994, which is when this embryo’s journey began. The couple made four embryos. One of them was successfully implanted and became their daughter, who is now 30 years old. The other three embryos were put in cryogenic storage for a long time.
Linda and her husband later broke up, but she never felt right about getting rid of the other embryos. She didn’t want them to be utilized for scientific research or given away anonymously either. Her gut told her that these embryos should have a family and a future.
Linda decided to pay thousands of dollars in storage costs for over thirty years instead of making a quick choice. Her dedication and patience finally led her to the notion of frozen embryo adoption, which is a growing but still uncommon technique in the world of fertility.
How does it work to adopt frozen embryos?
People or couples can adopt frozen embryos that were made by another family through IVF. Families usually give up these embryos when they no longer require them for their personal fertility needs but don’t want them to be destroyed or given away without their names.
When you adopt an embryo, you put the given embryo into the uterus of the adoptive mother. This is different from regular adoption. The child is genetically connected to the donor family, but the adoptive mother carried and gave birth to the child.
Linda found Nightlight Christian Adoptions, the agency that started the Snowflakes Embryo Adoption Program. The program is different since it lets donors choose the adoptive family based on things like race, religion, and where they live.
Linda wanted the embryo to go to a white, Christian couple in the U.S. who were already married. At that point, she met the Pierces, who had been trying to get pregnant for more than seven years.
How did the Pierces choose to adopt frozen embryos?
Tim and Lindsey Pierce had tried a number of different reproductive treatments, but none of them worked. They were emotionally spent and short on cash, so they started looking for other choices. That’s when they found out about frozen embryo adoption and were immediately interested.
The couple thought it was a chance to not only extend their family, but also to give life to an embryo that had been waiting for decades. The Snowflakes program’s values were also in line with their Christian beliefs.
They were given the go-ahead for the embryo transfer after meeting with Linda and going through counseling and medical tests. Read another article on Australia Gambling Ad Debate
How did the transfer go?
The embryo transfer took place at a Tennessee clinic called Rejoice Fertility. The clinic was happy to take on the task because they are known for using all viable embryos, no matter how old they are.
Cryopreservation lets you freeze embryos for as long as you like. It was still very rare for someone to move after more than 30 years. The professionals did everything they could to make sure the operation was safe and moral.
Lindsey said she went into the procedure with faith but not too many hopes. “We didn’t plan to break any records,” she said. “We just wanted to have a child.”
The procedure worked, thank goodness. Lindsey got pregnant right away, and baby Thaddeus was born healthy and full of life.
What did the donor think?
Linda Archerd hasn’t seen Thaddeus in person yet. She has been watching his voyage attentively, though, and she is immediately struck by how much he and her daughter are alike.
Linda’s choice to keep the embryos was never about science; it was about life. “I couldn’t let them go,” she remarked. I always thought they would have a future. That hope has now come true through the adoption of frozen embryos.
Linda says she is happy to hear that her embryo has found a loving home and is now part of a new family tree.
How is this story changing the way people talk about embryo adoption?
This successful frozen embryo adoption is letting more people learn about a road that many couples haven’t thought of before. It is also starting conversations about the moral and scientific issues surrounding frozen embryos and the emotional choices that go along with them.
Adopting embryos isn’t the perfect choice for everyone, but it does give families a unique chance to grow in a meaningful and planned way. It also shows how important it is to let donors have a say in what happens to their embryos.
Groups like Nightlight Christian Adoptions are helping to close this gap by making the process more personal, courteous, and open.
What Will Happen to Embryo Adoption in the Future?
As fertility technologies get better, frozen embryo adoption may become increasingly popular. This method not only gives parents who are having trouble getting pregnant hope, but it also gives embryos that aren’t being used a second chance at life.
Embryo adoption can be a great way for families to connect with their biological children and experience pregnancy if more people know about it and support it.
