My children were horrified when I married my Nigerian partner — then I became a mum to twins at 56. People call me selfish, but I don’t care.
Pink confetti burst into the air at my gender-reveal party, and as it floated down around us, I felt an overwhelming happiness. I was 56 years old, already a mother of five and a grandmother of 12 — yet I was about to welcome two more daughters into the world.
I grew up on Australia’s Gold Coast dreaming of motherhood. I had my first child, Sheana, at 19, and my son Heath four years later. Becoming a single mum at 24 was never part of the plan, but my children were my entire world.
I remarried soon after and welcomed three more children: Kallum, Deina and Gabriel. Raising them was the greatest joy of my life. But even with a full house, I felt increasingly unhappy in my marriage. In April 2019, at 51, I divorced and suddenly found myself single for the first time in years — a mixture of freedom and fear.
Having more children was the last thing on my mind. I was already in perimenopause and ready to focus on myself, travel, and grow my disability-services business.
But in March 2020, I took a chance and joined a dating site — and everything changed.
I first connected with Emeka, a 47-year-old Nigerian man living in Senegal. We chatted easily, but I didn’t feel a romantic spark. Then he sent me a photo of his family. The moment I saw his younger brother Bright, then 34, something inside me clicked. It felt absurd — but I just knew.
I asked Emeka for his number, and surprisingly, he didn’t mind. When I called Bright, the first words out of my mouth were, “Hi… I think you’re my bright future.” I cringed, but thankfully, he didn’t hang up — even if he was a bit stunned.
Bright was 17 years younger and lived almost 9,000 miles away. I had never considered dating a younger man. But the more we talked — for hours every day — the deeper my feelings grew. He came from a hardworking family, had never been married, and had no children. Despite our different lives, we shared the same values, and he adored his family just as fiercely as I did mine.
When I told him I was going through perimenopause and unable to have more children, he simply smiled and said that one day we would have twin girls together. I laughed — it seemed impossible.
I hid the relationship from my kids at first. They worried Bright was a romance scammer, though he never once asked for money. Eventually, I knew I had to meet him. So in February 2021, I flew to Nigeria.
Walking through the Lagos airport, my heart pounded. But the moment we hugged, everything felt right. The very next day, Bright proposed. I was shocked — yet completely certain. Nine days later, we married in a small civil ceremony.
My kids were horrified when I told them. But I believed that once they met him, they would understand.
By June, with visas sorted, we flew to Australia. Meeting my family was nerve-racking, but Bright’s warmth instantly won them over. Our marriage flourished, but one sadness lingered: Bright wasn’t a father. I knew he’d be a wonderful dad.
At 54, I looked into IVF, only to learn Australia’s age limit was 52. My daughters weren’t comfortable being surrogates, and I even considered suggesting Bright have a child with someone else — that’s how much I wanted him to experience fatherhood.
Then fate intervened. During a trip to Nigeria in January 2023, a friend suggested IVF there. I was doubtful, but the clinics were excellent, and the doctors weren’t concerned about my age. They could use donated eggs and Bright’s sperm — and I would carry the baby myself.
My children worried about the risks: miscarriage, pre-eclampsia, diabetes, heart complications. Even my GP was judgmental. But I felt strong, healthy, and determined.
In December 2023, a pregnancy test turned positive — and our joy was indescribable.
At my eight-week scan in Australia, the technician smiled: “There are two heartbeats.” I had known multiples were possible; three embryos had been implanted. I was thrilled.
At 16 weeks, we held the gender reveal, and two bursts of pink confetti proved Bright right — he had predicted twin girls all along.
Despite the warnings, this pregnancy was the easiest one I’d ever had. I worked, exercised, and felt fantastic. My daughters suggested sharing my journey on TikTok to inspire other women, and suddenly strangers were recognising me.
Most people were supportive, though some criticised me for being “selfish” at 56. But I didn’t let it affect me. Men have babies in their 60s and beyond without criticism. And no one knows how long they will live — age offers no guarantees. What I did know was that our daughters would grow up surrounded by an enormous, loving family.
In August 2024, after insisting on a vaginal birth, I delivered our girls, Khorus and Knowyn, five minutes apart, both weighing around 5lbs.
From the moment I held them, I was overwhelmed with love. Caring for newborns came back to me instantly — the sleepless nights, the bottles, the nappy changes. I wasn’t tired. I was grateful.
People often assume I’m their grandmother, but it never bothers me. These little girls have brought our whole family closer and proved that miracles can happen at any age.
To anyone dreaming of motherhood later in life: don’t give up. My journey took me across continents, but it brought me exactly where I was meant to be. My hands — and my heart — are full.
From her daughter, Deina, 28:
“I was terrified at first — worried Bright was a scammer, then shocked when they suddenly married, then worried again when Mum said she wanted more children at her age. But seeing her go through pregnancy with so much strength changed everything. She’s an amazing mum to the twins. She’s proved that age isn’t a barrier to dreams.”
