If you're feeling old today..

dhreczuck

I had my annual physical this morning and my Dr. told me she has a 62yr old patient that just adopted a baby from Africa. Yup 62! My primary care said at the end of the day she's happy this women finally got to complete her family after years of tears and frustration and that sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do before you give up.

Mrs.McIrish

I may start some pot-stirring today but I think 62 is just too old and not fair to a child.  Yes, I said that... 

dhreczuck

I agree in that it would never be something I'd choose to do. My Dr. said this women is in great physical and mental shape or else she wouldn't have been supportive of it. But it is definately not something I would pursue.

mtlaurel

I might agree with you, McIrish, unless the child is older. Then again, there's plenty of grandparents out there raising their grandchildren (granted they tend to be younger grandparents).

Mostly, I'm just surprised and a bit skeptical. A lot of countries have pretty strict age requirements for IA.

ForTheLoveOf Pink

my thing is that there must be some special issues with this case. Yes I question the age of the new Mom, whatever if she thinks she can do it...maybe she has a spouse that is younger???

Anyways the adoption issue is tough for me because well meaning people always say "you can just adopt".....oh yes I would love to but there are lots of tears and frustrations associated with adoption as well as ART. I made a call to my local childrens aid society some years back for some info and I was absolutely devistated....I was told point blank that there would be an almost zero chance that we would be adopting an infant, and the fact that my husband is currently a smoker we would never have a child under 10 (I think that is what it was). At that time I was also given the name of a private adoption cousellor and told this would cost around 12- 15 grand to do a private adoption.

Mrs.McIrish

mtlaurel:

I might agree with you, McIrish, unless the child is older. Then again, there's plenty of grandparents out there raising their grandchildren (granted they tend to be younger grandparents).

Mostly, I'm just surprised and a bit skeptical. A lot of countries have pretty strict age requirements for IA.

 

Totally agree with you with the skepticism and age requirements. 

 Grandparents raising grandkids out of necessity is totally different imo than the situation being discussed.

dhreczuck

I certainly didn't dig, but I got the impression that the adoption process took quite a long time. My Dr. said she felt like she was filling out forms for this women for years before the adoption went through. Because she was so heavily involved and I've known her for 15 years, I would trust she's being 100% truthful. She said the child is a very healthy happy one..

She didn't specificy where in Africa the women adopted from but it certainly appears that age restrictions vary widely, I know a 48yr old women who just adopted a baby from there this past spring... I mean look at Madonna, she had to be almost 50 when she adopted from Africa.

BeckyP005

Hmmm I was going to say that is plain crazy but if the child was living in very poor conditions then I guess maybe this child is better off with her. I am HOPING if something happens to this lady that there is a backup plan on who is going to step in and raise this child.

Oh and 50 is still better than 62...lol

danieleandwayne

I have to say that my first thought was "awesome" and then my 2nd thought was "uh, is she doing this alone? I hope she's alive long enough to get this kid through high school!"

I was surprised that an agency approved of this adoption, but I'm guessing that she jumped through a TON of hoops (ones Madonna surely avoided) to make it happen.

I dunno. I have enough emotional ridiculousness on my own plate to worry about other folks I don't know! LOL

ShellBear+

McIrish nope that is what I was thinking too.  

Mayzie15

Mrs.McIrish:

I may start some pot-stirring today but I think 62 is just too old and not fair to a child.  Yes, I said that... 

 

Agree with this completely and I'll stir the pot more and say she probably had lots of money!! 

annalisel

Well, assuming she has a close, younger extended family (or husband) and lots of money, that's kind of cool. I have to wonder though, given the doctor said she'd been trying to adopt for a long time, why the international adoption agency waited so long to make the placement? Wouldn't it have been better to do so when she was younger if they were ultimately going to do so?

dhreczuck

I think I might need to ask more questions when I go back and get the whole story, at the time I just wasn't really curious,since it kind of came out of nowhere anyway when we were discussing IVF, not that it has anything to do with that. Now I want details!

6to82010

Whatever the case, I am glad to hear this - my parents adopted my sister, she is from Zambia, she was 12 at the time. Any life my parents can give her is better than what Africa had in store for her. It was a simple process. She is 21 now, and had she still been in Africa, her life could have been pretty grim - either contracting aids or being hungry. Who knows, she could have been one of the lucky few who had a job but that is not easy without someone helping you with education. I think most poverty stricken children in Africa would rather have a 63 yr old mom and a roof and education than the sh*t they have in Africa.