Among life’s most significant changes is becoming a mother, an experience that surpasses age, situation, and expectations. It is an incredibly personal and individual experience for each woman, yet it is as old as mankind itself. For some, becoming a mother at a young age abruptly changes their trajectory in life.
For others, it takes years of patience, longing, and perhaps hardship before it comes. However, motherhood is nearly generally viewed as a blessing, one that offers happiness, responsibility, and an unmatched level of love, regardless of the road taken.
Life doesn’t always go as planned or as scheduled, and for many women, being a mother doesn’t happen precisely when or how they had hoped. Some people experience sadness via infertility or bereavement, while others are younger or older. The “right” moment to have children, however, does not exist. Every woman should be honored for the physical, mental, and spiritual fortitude required to generate and raise life, since every birth is a miracle.
However, society frequently has preconceived notions about the ideal age for parenting. And such demands from society can be severe and brutal for women like Maria Carmen del Bousada. When Maria from Cádiz, Spain, said she was expecting twin sons in 2006, the world was taken aback. Her age of 66 years old was more shocking than the fact that she was pregnant.
In order to finance an IVF procedure in California, Maria, a retired store employee, reportedly lied about her age to satisfy clinic standards and sold her house. Despite being more than ten years older, she misled doctors into believing she was 55. The choice, however, was quite personal to Maria. Motherhood is a right, not a privilege constrained by age or public opinion, as she fervently thought. She had always desired children, and now was her opportunity.
She acknowledged in an interview with The Guardian that “there were some things that should not have been done the way they were, but that was the only way to accomplish what I had always dreamed of.”
Maria was the oldest known mother in the world for a short time after giving birth to twin boys, Christian and Pau, who were both healthy. However, her happiness was fleeting. A sad turn of events that threatened to deprive her of the time she so dearly desired with her children was the discovery that she had ovarian cancer only six months after the delivery. “They’re still babies, so I haven’t told them,” she said, remaining strong in the face of the diagnosis. These things are too young for them.
#SabiasQue la mujer más vieja en dar a luz es Maria del Carmen Bousada (España) a los 66 años y 358 días. pic.twitter.com/zFVdlz8xLu
— Guinness World Records LatAm (@gwr_es) January 5, 2017
Not everybody agreed with her decision. She was reportedly chastised by her own relatives, who referred to her choice as selfish. Because she was afraid of their reaction, Maria even concealed her pregnancy for a while. However, three years after her kids were born, in 2009, Maria passed away, and those same family members took on the role of raising the boys, welcoming the children she had worked so hard to bring into the world.
“I think she has done this too late in life,” Ricardo, Maria’s brother, subsequently remarked, “but now they are here.” These handsome boys are adored by us. Other people in her hometown also posted updates, stating that Pau and Christian were doing well and receiving loving care. “God did not allow her to fully enjoy her children,” a neighbor remarked. “He ought to have given her additional time.”
Maria remained true to her choice to the very end. She felt that she should be allowed to choose parenting however she saw fit. Regardless of the opinions of others, she followed her instincts and made a decision that allowed her to spend a few priceless years as the mother she had always imagined herself to be.
Important issues regarding age, societal judgment, and reproductive rights are brought up by her experience. Does a woman’s ability to become a mother have a time limit? Or ought we to acknowledge that every person’s path to motherhood is unique?
Maria’s narrative is one of love, tenacity, and the unwavering will of a woman who refused to let time or public opinion get in the way of her dream, regardless of your position. May Maria Carmen del Bousada rest in peace. Both your story and your sons endure.
