Miracle baby! 52-year-old woman gives birth in Pretoria hospital

Having a baby in your 50s is almost unheard of…and for this 52-year-old woman, it has been a real blessing! After two decades of trying to have a baby, Alex Dandadzi and Eleanor Mukura became parents.

ALEX DANDADZI AND ELEANOR MUKURA BECOME PARENTS

It is reported that at the age of 52, Eleanor carried and birthed a healthy baby girl on 30 November 2021 at the Netcare Pretoria East Hospital.

TimesLIVE reports that Eleanor underwent a number of treatments at the Pretoria Fertility Centre before she became pregnant.

After four fibroid operations, five IVF rounds, a miscarriage, the couple finally have a baby named Esther. The Zimbabwe-born couple are said to be over the moon!

“Esther is a biblical name which carries the meaning of a star and a woman of courage,” said Mukura. “Her Shona name is Nyashadzashe, which means grace from God. We had almost given up on having a baby of our own but by God’s grace, when we least expected it at our older age, it happened.”

THE STRUGGLES THEY FACED TO BECOME PARENTS

Eleanor and Alex went through years of hardship, disappointment and utter heartbreak. After finding out that she had fertility issues left Eleanor feeling defeated.

“I became aware of my fertility problems when it was discovered I have fibroids or growths in my uterus that were preventing me from falling pregnant,” she explained.

“Twice I had them removed and twice they grew back. I was on the verge of making a decision to have my uterus removed when one Sunday morning I received an unexpected phone call from an old childhood friend who had a similar experience with fibroid removal treatment at Netcare Park Lane Hospital in Johannesburg.”

After multiple surgeries, Alex and Eleanor decided to try In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) treatment. The first round left them absolutely shattered.

“The first procedure was unsuccessful and the doctor who treated me passed away before we could try again. After some time we were referred to Dr Marienus Trouw, however, by this stage, the fibroids had grown back.”

HAVING A BABY IN YOUR 50s

Eleanor had the fibroids removed, again and tried IVF for the second time… and it worked. Making it all the way past the first trimester they thought this was it… but then Eleanor had a miscarriage.

“No sooner had I reached the end of the first trimester when, devastatingly, I had a miscarriage. We had come so far and decided to keep trying. The following two attempts resulted in failure. It was only some years later, on our fifth and final IVF attempt that I finally fell pregnant with our baby girl who is now here with us.”

Alex and Elenor do not wish this journey upon anyone, however, they do want those struggling to know that it is possible… and SO worth it in the end.

“I would never wish for anyone to have to endure such hardship and I would advise couples not to leave family planning too late, as you never know what complications may arise.

“Our message to anyone out there who is struggling to conceive is to keep your hope alive. Miracles do happen.”