Gina Heslop
Lauren Cohen, a woman from Paramus, New Jersey, welcomed an extraordinary and unexpected addition to her family when she gave birth to male and female twins at nearly 60. This should have been a joyous time for the mother of two, but she couldn’t have foreseen the mixed reactions from her children.
At an advanced age, Lauren’s journey to motherhood began when she met Frank Garcia at a dance class in 2002. Despite a significant age gap of 20 years, they fell in love at first sight. Their love story led to a marriage in July of the same year. It didn’t take long for Lauren to realize that Frank was eager to start a family.
The couple faced numerous challenges on their path to parenthood, mainly due to Lauren’s age. They attempted in vitro fertilization, but several doctors turned them down. It wasn’t until January 2004 that a clinic in Virginia finally approved their request. Despite four unsuccessful IVF attempts, the couple persevered. Their first daughter, Raquel, was born in December 2004 through in vitro fertilization.
Less than a year later, Lauren discovered that she was pregnant with twins. In May 2006, just before her 60th birthday, she gave birth to twins, Gregory and Giselle, through in vitro fertilization using donor eggs. This remarkable feat made her the oldest mother in the United States to give birth to twins, sharing the record with an unnamed British woman who achieved the same on Christmas Day in 1993.
While Lauren embraced her role as a mother of three small children, she also faced the challenge of being perceived as their grandmother due to her age, particularly by her eldest daughter, Renee. Nevertheless, she and her husband were grateful for their three children and committed to maintaining their health to see their kids through college. Lauren took extensive measures, including practicing pilates, and yoga, and taking nearly a hundred supplements weekly to stay in shape, with the goal of living long enough to witness their graduation. She was determined to keep going for 17 years until she turned 81.
The story of Lauren Cohen is a testament to the lengths parents will go to for their children and the enduring love that transcends age and challenges.
