LightGrams
August 14, 2025
Volume 29, Number 25
“The Oldest Newborn Ever”
On July 26, 2025, Thaddeus Daniel Pierce was born. “How much did he weigh?” we might have asked, or “How long was he?” Those are normal questions when hearing of a birth. In this child’s case we could also have asked, “How old was he?” His age at birth broke world records.
In the early 1990s Linda Archerd and her now ex-husband decided to turn to in vitro fertilization after trying for six years to have a child. Four viable embryos resulted, and one was implanted in Linda’s womb. Nine months later she gave birth to a healthy baby girl. The couple decided to freeze the other three embryos to hopefully bring them to birth at a future date.
That future date was last month when Linda gave permission to another couple to adopt her frozen embryos. That brings us to Thaddeus. At his birth he was technically 30 years old, although to all appearances he was an ordinary newborn baby.
For the past few decades, the world has argued that an embryo is not human. At what point does an unborn child become human? We have neonatal intensive care units dedicated to treating pre-term babies, many of whom are less than a pound in weight. Yet many of these survive and grow to become fully functional women and men making valuable contributions to society.
Three millennia ago, David wrote about his pre-birth condition: “For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well” (Psalm 139:13,14). God told the prophet Jeremiah, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations” (Jeremiah 1:5). Both David and Jeremiah were persons while yet in their mothers’ wombs. They each had identities and potential.
When Mary went to visit her relative Elizabeth, Elizabeth told her that “the babe [that she was expecting] leaped in my womb for joy” (Luke 1:44). Several weeks later Mary gave birth to Jesus, and shepherds were alerted by angels to this wonder. When they went into Bethlehem to see for themselves, they “found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger” (Luke 2:16). The same Greek word (brephos) is translated “babe” for both the unborn and the newly born sons.
While Jesus was on earth, His love for children was obvious: “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 19:14). May we have the same view of children that our Lord has, and recognize their value, whether born or yet unborn.
Come to the light God offers! Study His word, the Bible. Worship Him in spirit and truth (John 4:24). Get in touch with us if you’d like to discuss these ideas further.
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Copyright, 2025, Timothy D. Hall. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise noted, are from the New King James Version (Copyright, 1990, Thomas Nelson, Inc.).
“LightGrams” is produced by the Central Church of Christ, 2722 Oakland Avenue, Johnson City, Tennessee, 37601, and is written by Tim Hall, minister. It is sent free of charge every Thursday to all who request it. To subscribe or to receive more information, write to “Tim@GraceMine.org” (our E-mail address), to the U.S. mail address above, or call (423) 282-1571.
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