A 60-year-old woman in China gave birth to twin girls after IVF treatment. Now, getting fertility treatments at the age of 60 may seem strange, especially in China that has a one-child policy, but the circumstances in this case are unique. Worldwide the tends to be an age limit on IVF treatment as it is known to be less effective with age and there are concerns for the offspring's well-being. So what drove this particular mother to find a hospital that would be willing to help her get pregnant at such an advanced age? The story is actually quite compelling.
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You see the mother, Sheng Hailin, had lost her first daughter who was in her late twenties, in 2009 due to an accidental gas poisoning case. Sheng Hailin was devastated and she was quoted by local media as saying, "To survive and free myself of the loneliness, I decided to have another child in my old age."
She and her husband were able to find a hospital in the city of Hefei that would give them IVF therapy and on May 25, 2010, Sheng Hailin gave birth to Zhizhi who weighed 4.07 pounds and Huihui who weighed 3.19 pounds.
So how is the family doing now? Sheng was a retired medical worker. She and her husband both had good pensions, but Sheng went back to work giving health lectures across the country to earn extra money to support her girls. She needs additional funds to help pay for babysitting as there are some physical tasks like bathing that she needs help with. She says, "For the baby girls, I have given out all I have."
I wish her and her whole family a long and healthy life.
Image via Thinkstock
