PROUD MOM AND GRAN WHO DEFEATED THE ODDS...

I have been, for ages, contemplating sending this letter to you as a proud mother-of-two and a grandmother to two beautiful grandkids – grandson Carlyle (5) and 4-monthold granddaughter Athena.

This after I was told I would never be able to be a mother due to some gynaecological problems I had experienced.

The birth of my son, Ashwin, in 1990 was a miracle. He is the father of my grandkids.

When I found out I was pregnant again in 1996 at the age of 35, and that it was a girl, I was over the moon. My daughter was truly an answered prayer and a pleasant surprise.

I was so moved by this miracle that I put pen to paper and shared the story with Your Baby, and her birth at Olivedale Clinic in Randburg in November 1996 was published in the June 1997 edition of the magazine.

Today, I can proudly say to other women, never give up, as miracles and surprises do happen.

I’m living proof because I didn’t even go for any fertility treatments at all. Yes, I tried to regulate my periods, if and when I got them, with birth-control pills, but that was it. Today I thank God for my blessings and am looking forward to the day my daughter also becomes a mother. Thank you Your Baby for a wonderful experience all these past years... I treasure this magazine.

HAZEL OLIVER RANDBURG, GAUTENG