Approaching her sixtieth year, Lauren Cohen of Paramus, New Jersey, defied expectations by giving birth to male and female twins in 2006.
While this should have been a joyous occasion for the mother of two, she couldn’t have foreseen the unexpected reaction of her eldest daughter.
In 2002, Lauren encountered Frank Garcia during a dance class in New Jersey, having been divorced from her previous husband for two years. Despite a significant age gap of 20 years between them, they experienced a profound and immediate connection, falling in love at first sight.
“I never imagined he could be interested in a woman so much older,” Lauren recounted. “But he was such a fantastic dancer that one night, I mustered the courage to ask him to dance, and to my surprise, he said yes.”
In July 2002, Lauren and Frank exchanged vows, marking the beginning of their journey together. It wasn’t long before Lauren realized her husband’s eagerness to expand their family. Despite facing numerous rejections from doctors due to her advanced age, the couple remained determined to conceive.
After several failed attempts at in vitro fertilization, a clinic in Virginia finally granted them approval. However, after four unsuccessful IVF cycles, the couple felt disheartened. Their perseverance paid off when a doctor in New Jersey agreed to assist them. Their efforts culminated in the birth of their first daughter, Raquel, in December 2004, conceived through in vitro fertilization.
Less than a year later, Lauren received the incredible news that she was expecting twins. On May 22, 2006, just before her 60th birthday, Lauren gave birth to twins Gregory and Giselle, conceived through in vitro fertilization using donor eggs.
“I don’t feel like a record holder. Except for arthritis, I’m in excellent shape,” Lauren shared. According to PEOPLE, at age 36, Lauren became the oldest mother in the United States to give birth to twins, tying the record set by an unnamed British woman on Christmas Day 1993. Despite being a mother of four small children, Lauren prioritizes her health to fulfill her dream of witnessing her kids graduate from college.
To stay fit, the mother-of-four practices pilates and yoga and diligently takes nearly a hundred supplements weekly. “I’ll do whatever it takes to live as long as I can,” she asserts. “I’ve set a target of seeing them through college. I’ve got to keep going for 17 years—until I’m 81.”
Despite her dedication, Lauren finds it challenging to navigate the role of an older mother, especially when her eldest daughter, Renee, is frequently mistaken for the children’s grandmother. Despite the challenges, Lauren and her husband remain grateful for their three children, even though they miss out on spending time with their daughter and granddaughter.