One in millions: Couple in their 70s become parents in Rajasthan

A former Indian Army soldier (75) and his wife (70) in Rajasthan recently welcomed their first child through In Vitro Fertilization.

Alwar:In what can be termed extraordinary, a couple from Rajasthan, well past the seven-decade mark in their lives, recently had their first child. The incident took place in Jhunjhunu in Rajasthan's Alwar district, with both Gopichand and his wife Chandravati Devi overjoyed at the welcome change in their lives.

The man, an ex-serviceman in the Indian Army who retired in 1983, says he chose In-Vitro Fertility (IVF) as the last recourse to fulfill his long-time desire to become a father. "Happy that we can take our family forward as I am the only son of my father Nainu Singh," the 75-year-old said. Married for 54 years, Gopichand has gone through years filled to the brim with military service to pay any attention towards his personal life.

The former soldier stated that he served during the 1972 Bangladesh Liberation War and sustained a bullet injury in his leg. "(We were) waiting for a child since 1968" he said, adding that it was only after his retirement that they could take medical opinion regarding having a child.

In light of risks associated with the pregnancy due to his wife's (70) advanced age, Gopichand said he did not think twice when he came to know about IVF through a relative. After two futile attempts, Chandravati Devi was able to conceive through her third attempt nine months back using the technology and birthed a healthy baby on Monday.

Speaking about the incident, Dr. Pankaj Gupta said there have been very few such incidents so far in India. "There are only a few cases of children being born at this age across the country. This is probably the first case in Rajasthan when a 75-year-old man and 70-year-old woman have got a child," he said. (With Agency inputs)