Being a mother changes your life and can bring you a lot of happiness and satisfaction. Many women have their first child in their 20s or 30s, but some may choose to have children later in life. A Spanish woman named Maria del Carmen Bousada de Lara made news in 2006 when she gave birth to twin boys. She was 66 years old at the time.
People in Maria’s family and community were shocked and critical of her choice to have a child at a very old age. Many people didn’t believe she could take care of young children, and her family said she was selfish. But Maria was set on making her dream come true: she wanted to have a child.
In order to reach her goal, Maria got IVF treatment in California, where she lied and said she was 55 years old. She sold her house to pay for the treatment, which showed how determined she was to have a child. Maria thought that every woman should be able to decide for herself when to have children, without other people or social standards getting in the way.
Maria had two healthy boys, Christian and Pau, even though she was criticised. She was happy for a short time, though, because she was told she had ovarian cancer only six months after giving birth. Eventually, Maria’s family stepped in to help take care of the twins. Maria died in 2009, but her children carry on her memory.
Years later, someone who lived in Cadiz and knew Maria said that Christian and Pau were healthy and getting the care they needed. Maria’s choice to become a mother at age 66 was not the norm, but it shows how important it is to respect every woman’s choice about her sexual health and parenting.
Maria’s story makes you think about the social standards women have about being mothers and how important it is to accept each person’s choice. What do you think about Maria’s choice to have kids at age 66?
