Beating the odds: 52-year-old woman gives birth in Pretoria hospital

After 20 years of trying to fall pregnant, a 52-year-old woman has given birth at the Netcare Pretoria East Hospital.

Alex Dandadzi and Eleanor Mukura, originally from Zimbabwe, have welcomed a baby girl into their lives after years of fibroid removal operations, unsuccessful fertility treatment and a miscarriage.

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

The couple travelled to the hospital in a last attempt to relieve Mukura of pain and hopefully enable her to become a mother.

After having her fibroids removed a third time, Mukura underwent in vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatment.

But her first attempt was a disappointment,

“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,” said Mukura.

She underwent her fourth fibroid removal and again tried IVF.

“This time it was a success and we were filled with an incredible sense of hope,” said Mukura.

But disaster struck again.

“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,” said Mukura.

Four fibroid operations, five IVF rounds, a miscarriage and the couple finally have a baby, named Esther.

“Esther is a biblical name which carries the meaning of a star and a woman of courage. 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,” Mukura said.

Trouw said the couple’s case was exceptional, adding there were many factors which could affect a couple’s ability to have children.

“Age of the mother is one of the key determiners in the rate of success. When it comes to IVF there is an average success rate of about 50%, and while this can be higher, up to 65% for women younger than 35, it can also drop to as low as 10% after the age of 42,” he said.

Mukura said at her advanced age, her pregnancy journey had been tough.

“I had elevated blood pressure and had to go on maternity leave six weeks before the estimated delivery date. This involved me travelling to SA from Zimbabwe, where I live and work. I also developed kidney complications that meant I had to remain hospitalised after the birth for much longer than would usually be the case,” she said.

Trouw said physiological factors in a woman, such as fibroids, can be the initial cause for difficulty in conceiving.

“This can also include ovulation problems, blocked Fallopian tubes and endometriosis,  when the tissue that normally only grows on the inside of the uterus also grows on the outside and attaches to other parts of the body, which can cause scarring that makes it difficult to conceive,” said Trouw.

There were also common fertility problems in men.

“We also see physiological problems in the male, such as poor sperm motility, low sperm count and in some cases no sperm at all. Around a third of cases involve a combination of factors within the female, the male or both, while about 10% of cases cannot be explained as we simply do not have all the knowledge yet.”

With many fertility issues, there are treatment options available and in some instances there is a happy ending.

“Our message to anyone out there who is struggling to conceive is to keep your hope alive. Miracles do happen,” said Esther’s mom.

“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,” she said, voicing her gratitude to the medical team who treated her.

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