Desk Report,
Baby born from 30-year-old frozen embryo
A baby has been successfully born from an embryo that was frozen for more than 30 years. Recently, a couple in the US state of Ohio gave birth to a baby boy. It is believed to be a world record.
Baby born from 30-year-old frozen embryo
The baby was born on July 26 to Lindsay and Tim Pierce, 35, and 34, Tim Pierce. The newborn has been named Thaddeus Daniel Pierce. Lindsay told MIT Technology Review, “It seems like a scene from a science fiction story to my family.”
The previous record was a set of twins. The twins’ embryos had been frozen since 1992. They were born in 2022 after almost 30 years. After seven years of trying to have a child without success, Lindsay and Pierce decided to adopt a frozen embryo. The embryo now belongs to Linda Orchard, 62, and her ex-husband. The embryo was created through IVF in 1994 and stored.
The Linda Orchard couple created four embryos through IVF. One of them gave birth to their daughter, who is now 30 years old. The other three embryos were frozen.
Even after separating from her husband, Linda was not willing to throw away the embryos, donate them for research, or give them to a stranger’s family.
Linda spent a lot of money every year storing the embryos. Later, she found an organization called Nightlight Christian Adoptions. The organization adopts embryos from Christian couples. They also have a special program called Snowflakes in this regard. Many such organizations believe that adopting an embryo in this way means saving a life.
Under the Snowflakes program, the embryo donor can choose the family of their choice. Linda wanted the embryo to be given to a married, white, Christian couple in the United States. In the end, the Pierces got everything they wanted.
The Pierces were treated at an IVF clinic in Tennessee called Rejoyce Fertility. The clinic says they try to transfer any embryos they receive, regardless of age or condition.
Pierce said she and her husband didn’t want to break any records, they just wanted a child.
And Linda Orchard said she hasn’t seen the baby in person yet. But she has seen some resemblance to her daughter in pictures.
