The oldest mother in the world, Yerramatti Mangayamma, gave birth to twin girls at age 73 before her husband Raja passed away a year later, leaving her a sole parent who was compelled to prepare for her own demise. In 2019, the oldest mother in the world made headlines when she gave birth to twins at the age of 73.
But now that her husband Raja, 84, has passed away from a heart attack and left behind a wife and two children, Yerramatti Mangayamma must face the rest of her days as a single mother. Rama Tulasi and Uma Tulasi, two 12-month-old girls. Yerrametti, now 75, from Andhra Pradesh, southern India, commented: “I am deeply moved by the thought of his passing.” He only spent a year with his daughters, but at least he got to experience the joys of fatherhood before he passed away.
Yerramatti and Raja attempted everything they could in the early years of their marriage to get pregnant, sought the advice of numerous experts, and tried a variety of medications, but nothing worked. When Yerramatti had early menopause at the age of 40, their heartbreaking struggle came to an end. Yerramatti, who wed farmer Raja in 1962 through an arranged marriage, recalled the period as being “a dreadful time.”
“It felt like the door was closing. We considered adoption, but it didn’t work out.” Adding to her grief, Yerramatti narrated how her neighbors called her ‘a childless woman and that she often caught relatives gossiping behind her back. Feelings of grief and loss never left her. Then, in the summer of 2018, when Yerramatti was 72 years old, she heard that a woman in her 30s in her village had given birth to a baby after IVF.
She described the clinic as she was aware of my strong desire to have children. IVF would be challenging, but I wanted to attempt it. Dr. Umashankar Sanakkayala of the Ahalya Nursing Home in Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, South India, was approached by Yerramatti. Additionally, their first meeting took place in November 2018. “The doctor performed certain tests to assess my health, and when the findings were favorable, he consented to assist me,” she added. I shed happy tears.
Yerramatti and Raja used their funds to pay for the first cycle of treatment, which cost 65,000 Indian rupees (£660). Additionally, since Yerramatti failed to generate any eggs, Raja’s sperm was utilized to fertilize a donor egg. Then, in January 2019, they learned something they believed would never happen: Yerramatti had conceived, and three months later, she learned she was giving birth to twins.
Rama and Uma Tulasi, who each weighed less than 2 kilograms, were born via caesarean section on September 5, 2019, at Ahalya Nursing Home. It was lovely to hold them for the first time, Yerramatti remarked. Fortunately, we were able to return home after a few weeks spent in the hospital while the doctors made sure we were all three in good health.
It’s been hard without him, but my family and friends are close by and I have savings to help me out. I am determined to be here to watch my daughters grow up, but I have chosen a family friend to raise them if anything happens to me. I am so glad to be a mother after all these years of suffering without children.
