"I have decided that I want to have a child," announced Adriana Iliescu to her family members sitting beside her. The moment these words came out of Adriana's mouth, it was as if silence dawned upon the living room. Everyone seemed shocked, unable to digest what they really heard. "What are you talking about? That's madness!" cried her nephew.
"Well, I am not kidding! You heard me, I am going to have a child!" reiterated Adriana. "Have you gone bonkers? Don't you understand that you should not do that?" shouted another relative. Soon, the whole living room lightened up in symphony. However, it seemed like Adriana made her mind, and nobody could persuade her in the opposite. Little did she know what difficulties that decision would soon lead her to.
Early life
While Adriana spent most of her life in singlehood, she was once married in her 20s. She had a dreamy life back then. At that time, she was still a student and as well as her husband.
Unfortunately, their what seemed like dreamy marriage couldn’t stand the test of time, and they started having issues. It was hard to handle, which led to them parting ways four years later.
Two terminations
Adriana has always been fond of children. She loved kids and wanted to be a mother her whole life. However, as they say, destiny has its own mysterious ways. During her marriage, she got pregnant two times but then she terminated her pregnancy.
As she explains in her own words, “It was the normal thing back then in Romania!” She didn’t reveal the reasons behind these terminations, but we believe that it might have something to do with her failed marriage.
Regret
She might have terminated her pregnancy two times in a row but there isn’t a single day that passes without her regretting the decision. “I wanted to be a mother back then too. I wanted to have my own child but destiny had her own plans.
If I had to list down my life’s biggest mistakes, those terminations will top the chart!” Adriana explained in an interview she once gave. Life, did, indeed batter her and the hardships only made her more miserable. Her marriage was in shatters, her pregnancy terminations ... what more could have gone wrong?
1995 attempt
IVF or In Vitro Fertilization has been a boon for people who have faced troubles while bearing a child. In Romania too, this technology was gaining popularity back then. Adriana got to know about it too and in 1995, her attempts of having a child began again.
“I heard about the first in vitro fertilization in Romania and visited Ioan Munteanu. He was the doctor in charge of the procedure” Adriana explained in the interview.
Embryo stopped developing
As much as she wanted to be a mother in her first attempt, you cannot really fight what’s written in your destiny, can you? Her first IVF pregnancy went well until March 2000. Things went south when the embryo stopped its development and the doctors had to terminate her pregnancy.
It broke Adriana’s heart into tiny little pieces! And it was only quite natural! But the doctors advised her to make a new attempt in Bucharest and sent her back there.
Second attempt
Although she was taken aback by her third pregnancy termination, Adriana was still determined and gritty to become a mother. In 1995, she was aged 57 and she knew that she would have to be quick on her feet if she wanted to become a mother.
Around 2004, she started with the treatment again, and guess what? She got pregnant again! But unfortunately, she was approaching yet another disaster that would break her heart.
Triplets
Adriana was overjoyed when she got to learn that she was pregnant and even more so, when her sonography reports revealed that she was carrying not one, not two but three children inside her womb! Her happiness didn’t last long as the doctors discovered that one of them had died at 10 weeks and another soon after.
The doctors then decided to induce the delivery of her remaining child. It would have been too late if not for that minute. The time had finally arrived ...
Successful delivery
Eliza’s delivery was successful. She weighed 3 pounds at birth and was being fed with a glucose solution in an incubator. The doctors made sure that she doesn’t leave the hospital until everything was fine. A miracle had just happened as Adriana became a mother at an age of 66!
Everyone in the hospital who got to know about it that day, couldn’t help but feel happy for Adriana. No matter her age, it was a happy moment. A life was born! What could be more beautiful?
Incubation
Adriana was 66 and faced some difficulties in the process but Eliza, despite coming into this world seven weeks early, turned out to be healthy. But the doctors still decided to keep her in incubation for some time so that they could keep a watch on her for a few days.
She was being fed with a glucose solution to keep her vitals in check. The tiny little baby felt so calm inside that glass box, but quite naturally, Adriana's heart was racing!!!
Adriana’s reaction
Having dreamt of becoming a mother her whole life, Adriana’s dreams finally became a reality when she brought Eliza into this world. “Needless to say, it was the happiest moment in my life as little Eliza grabbed my finger for the first time and guess what? She held it! She is truly a gift from God.
I cannot thank him enough for bestowing me with this opportunity!” She was definitely overjoyed when she gave birth to Eliza but a difficult life lay right ahead of her!
People’s judgement
People around her, be it her relatives, friends or complete strangers… used to judge her a lot when she was pregnant. Some of them even tried to convince her that it was a bad idea and that she needed to abort the kid for good.
Even after Eliza was born, people didn’t leave a single chance to pass on their judgment. Some even told her to hand over Eliza to foster care so that she wouldn’t have to worry about her in her old age!
Biologically fit
Even some doctors tried to convince her that it was indeed a bad idea and that she needed to get rid of her child. But later on, Dr Bogdan Marinescu, the Bucharest doctor who supervised Iliescu’s successful pregnancy, proved everyone wrong!!
By declaring that she was biologically fit to carry a child in her womb, he gave Adriana a ray of hope. He said, “She was in the right condition to carry a pregnancy.”
She didn’t care, at all!
No matter how many hurdles Adriana faced in her life, she didn’t give up on her dream of becoming a mother one day. Even if it meant conceiving a child at the age of 66, she was all up for it!
“I didn’t care at all about what people thought of me and my decision of becoming a mother at such an old age. I didn’t even care about what some of the doctors had to say about my decision.” Adriana explained her determination in the interview.
Healthy child
While some of the doctors predicted that Adriana’s child will not turn out to be absolutely normal, Eliza turned out to be healthy! Sure, the doctors had to keep her in incubation for some time but then, she was as normal as any other infant and Adriana couldn’t have been happier about this!
“I am so glad that my baby girl turned out to be absolutely healthy. Together, we have beaten all odds!” She said on top of her voice in the interview.
A new stage in her life
Adriana wanted to become a mother all her life and her dream finally shaped into reality at the age of 66. Eliza’s birth marked the beginning of a new stage in Adriana’s life. She was all alone most of her life but now she had a cute little companion to spend time with.
Although Adriana had an idea that it wasn’t going to be easy for her but she was all prepared to take on this herculean task! The child was all she wanted. The child was all that mattered!
Had to work too
Having a child meant that Adriana’s expenses obviously went up. She couldn’t afford not to work at that time and she wanted to provide a good life for Eliza. To be able to do that, she had to work and take care of her newborn baby girl at the same time.
She arranged for a nanny to take care of Eliza while she worked hard to keep them financially afloat. Heck, she even continued marking exam papers while in the hospital!
All this while being 66!
Sure, there are many single mothers out there who put their heart and soul into raising their child, while hustling at the same time. But what makes Adriana’s case different is the fact that she was doing all that while being 66!
She used to have many sleepless nights and tiresome days. But she never used to give up on Eliza or got frustrated by her daily routine of juggling her work and personal life.
Long visits to the doctor
If you think that that is all she did, we suggest that you take a chair and sit down because Adriana used to do a lot more than that. No doubt, she was a hands-on mom!
She really wanted Eliza to stay healthy all the time. So long and frequent visits to the doctor also became a regular affair for the mother-daughter duo.
Didn’t regret
Despite managing all this single-handedly, not once she regretted her decision of conceiving a child at such an age. At times, when she used to get a little too tired, she just used to look at her Eliza to gain her strength back!
“While I never regretted my decision of having Eliza, at times it used to become a little too much but at that time too, my baby girl was there to boost my strength.” She explained in an interview she gave years later after having Eliza.
Eliza was growing up cheerful
While everyone thought that the age difference between Adriana and Eliza would have a negative impact on her growing up to be a little bitter. But exactly the opposite was happening with them!
As Eliza was growing up to be very normal and in fact, more cheerful than most of her peers! Would that remain the same when she would have to go to school?
Is that your grandmother?
Adriana made sure to play her role as a mother in the best manner possible. In a similar wake, she used to drop Eliza off at her kindergarten school on a daily basis.
Given her mother’s age, Eliza’s friends started asking her a very obvious question – “Is that your grandmother?” To which, Eliza used to reply with pride, always – “No, that’s my mother.”
Adriana’s wrinkled body
Adriana’s body was completely covered in wrinkles by the time Eliza was born and started to go to school. Not only Eliza’s friends but everyone who used to see the mother-daughter duo together, used to think that Adriana was her grandmother.
And why wouldn’t they! The age gap between Adriana and Eliza was massive. Would that create a problem when Eliza would grow up a little more?
Eliza loved her mother
Just like her mother, Eliza too was growing up to be quite fearless. She didn’t care at all about what people thought about her mother’s age. To her, Adriana remained an absolute angel!
One who brought her into this world and took care of her every need. Eliza, too, didn’t leave any chance to let Adriana know how much she loved and respected her.
Same at the school
When Eliza grew up and took admission in high school, she used to receive the same response that she did in her kindergarten. Everyone in her school too would think that Adriana is her grandmother.
Things were changing and kids become meaner in high school. There were high chances that she would get bullied for her mother’s age.
Understanding friends
Children when they hit their teenage, become a little rude and mean. They start thinking that they have grown old now and can do whatever they want.
Eliza, too, was a little skeptical about her friends turning into monsters and making her life difficult but what happened was exactly the opposite of it. Surprisingly, her friends too were quite understanding.
Never got bullied
Some kids her age don’t leave a single chance to bully their peers and when it comes to Eliza, her mother’s age gave them enough reason to bully her. But Eliza never complained about someone bullying her.
In fact, she used to remain very eager to go to her school every morning. She wanted to make her mom proud and she knew that she had limited time, so the idea was to make the most of it!
Parents and teachers admired
Not only Eliza’s friends but other parents and teachers also used to admire Adriana for what she pulled off at such an age. And also for how she remained so active after she gave birth to Eliza.
Adriana and Eliza became absolute favorites. Wherever they used to go, people always greeted them! And their pictures tell us why!
Cheerful duo
One would assume that their massive age difference would create some gap between the mother-daughter duo, RIGHT? But, in this case, that didn’t happen at all.
Even by looking at their pictures, it is quite noticeable that they are still very cheerful and love each other to the moon and back! A supermom and her beautiful daughter ... the best duo!
Good mother and best friend
Adriana deserves all the praises in the world for pulling off such a stellar job of being such a great mother. Not only this, but she also considers herself as Eliza’s best friend and guess what?
Eliza feels the same! Adriana wanted to be a mother all her life and now that she finally got a chance of living her dream, she is absolutely slaying it!
Mastered the internet
In the past few years, the importance of the internet has grown multi-fold. If you want to keep yourself updated, it is very essential to know how the internet works.
Adriana knew this too and she even knew that to strengthen her bond with her daughter, she would have to upgrade herself. So she mastered the internet at the age of 75!
Can easily hold a conversation
Even at the age of 80, Adriana has taught herself so much about the modern world. So much so, that she can easily hold a conversation with any millennial.
Her mission behind her gaining knowledge of the modern world was pretty simple. She didn’t want Eliza to think that her mother is old!!
Forgets her age
She might have breached the 80 mark but it is still out in the open that she is very young at heart. “I sometimes forget my own age that I’ve lived for eight complete decades.
I still feel young at heart and if my body permits, I would like to live another eight decades.” And we believe every single word that she said!
Eliza’s love for her mother
As Eliza is growing older too, her love for Adriana is also growing with her age. Partly because she too, has started realizing the troubles that Adriana might have gone through in conceiving her and even after that!
Eliza respects her mother very much and despite their humongous age gap, she feels very close to her. For Eliza, she needs nothing more!
Adriana’s dream
Adriana has a very special dream about their future. “I want to see my baby girl walk down the aisle and marry a good man. Not only this, I want to play with my grandchildren too.
She explains her dreams with the kind of zest she has for life. And with the love she has for her daughter, she might even get to experience all this turning into reality! What do you think?