For Lindsey and Tim Pierce, the dream of becoming parents took seven long years of waiting, hoping, and heartbreak. That dream finally came true in the most extraordinary way—thanks to a tiny life that had been waiting in a freezer for more than three decades.

On July 26, they welcomed their son, Thaddeus Daniel Pierce, believed to be the oldest baby ever born. Thaddeus began his journey in May 1994, when his biological moThaddeus Daniel Piercether, Linda Archerd, created three embryos through in vitro fertilization.

Linda, now 62, gave birth to one child at the time, but life took unexpected turns. After a divorce, she kept the remaining embryos, paying for their storage year after year.

Guided by her faith, Linda refused to destroy the embryos or donate them for research.

When she was no longer able to carry them herself, she turned to the Nightlight Christian Adoptions Agency. Their “Open Hearts” program connects families with older embryos—ones considered “hard to place” because they might not survive the thaw.

The Pierces took that chance.

Of Linda’s three embryos, only one survived. That one became Thaddeus—proof that sometimes, miracles just need a little more time.