The Story of the Woman Who Had a Daughter at 66 and Has Been Living With Society’s Rejection Ever Since
In 2005, the story of Adriana Iliescu was widely discussed in the media. The woman had her first child at the age of 66 which got her into the Guinness Book of World Records as the oldest mother in the world. Over the past 14 years, the woman has had to deal with the rejection from society multiple times, but she has continued to overcome it in the name of her love for her daughter.
We at Bright Side were deeply moved by the story of this strong-willed woman that decided to make her dream of becoming a mother come true against the odds and we want to share it with you.
Why she didn’t have a child earlier
When Adriana was 20 years old, she got married but her husband was completely against having children. In the end, she decided to get divorced. After that, she dedicated herself to her teaching job at a university in Romania.
For 9 years, Adriana was treated for infertility and she tried to get pregnant but all of her attempts were unsuccessful. Then, she decided to try in-vitro fertilization. At that moment, she was already 66 years old and she clearly understood that it was a huge risk. But more than anything else, Adriana wanted to find out what it feels like to be a mother. Many people around her judged her decision and others turned their backs on her thinking that what she was doing was immoral.
The difficulties Adriana had to deal with after having a baby
When she finally got pregnant with triplets, 2 of them died in the womb and her daughter Eliza was born prematurely, so she spent a long time in the intensive care unit. Soon, she grew stronger and Adriana, as a very religious person, decided to baptize her.
Different religious organizations claimed that her decision to have a child at such an old age was terribly selfish. During the ceremony, nuns gave her accusing looks and Adriana even heard that one of them called Eliza the product of dark force. Adriana herself thinks that her daughter was sent by God.
How this single mother lived with her child as she grew up
Adriana secured the girl’s future right away. She made a deal with the doctor who was doing the in-vitro procedure. They agreed that in the case of Adriana’s death, the doctor is to become the godfather of the girl and her official representative until she is of age.
Adriana is often thought to be Eliza’s grandmother. And the woman has proved multiple times that her decision to become a mother was something more than just a selfish wish. And since Adriana was already retired, she could spend all of her free time raising her daughter.
How they live now
Adriana is a teacher of the Romanian language and literature and also an author of more than 25 books for children. Her daughter loves sciences and is a regular teenager who has already has won a lot of school competitions. In the future, Eliza hopes to go to college.
Adriana and Eliza are connected with the special bonds of love. As her mother, Adriana invests all of her power, experience, and knowledge into her only daughter. She still has an active and healthy lifestyle and tries to take part in Eliza’s social life. Adriana is 80 years old now, she feels great, and she hopes to continue watching her daughter grow into a beautiful woman.
What do you think about Adriana’s story? Do you think she did the right thing by deciding to chase her dream no matter what?
Preview photo credit AFP / Stringer / gettyimages, DANIEL MIHAILESCU / Staff / gettyimages