Empty. A cesspool of loneliness, underground. Buried alive. Ana Obregón is one of the people who has suffered the most painful pain, the loss of a child. A much loved only child. And she was joined by two more absences, also of those that crack her heart forever: her parents Antonio and Ana. It is hard for her to look up from the bottom of that well to sense that there is still light. And love her. And look for it.
Ana Obregón did not give in to despair and decided to become a mother again. Biologically, it was surely impossible for her, although there have been cases. So she opted for a surrogate. The actress is 68 years old, it is true. She is closer to walking grandchildren than to having children. But everything is relative.
For example, in Greece, a woman gave birth to her own grandson at the age of 67. It was a rare case of surrogacy. Her mother became surrogate for her own daughter’s child, who had undergone a hysterectomy. Before her, the young woman’s eggs were extracted and fertilized with her husband’s semen. The result was an almost impossible son. But the impossible sometimes exist.
The debate on whether or not the practice of surrogacy is ethical has been on the table for years. Ana Obregón is one of the celebrities who have opted for this assisted reproduction technique to achieve motherhood. A few weeks ago we woke up with another surprise, with a Paris Hilton showing her baby’s hand, the result, also, of a pregnancy in someone else’s body. They are the latest in a long list.
What differentiates Ana Obregón from the American heiress is age. For the Spanish actress, surrogacy has been her only option to become a mother again. Taking into account the few biological possibilities that she had, in Spain in vitro fertilization is not recommended for women over 50 years of age due to the high risk that she incurs. As far as adoption is concerned, the candidates cannot be more than 45 years apart from the minor.
Obregón had a third way available, why not use it? In a society with medical and technological advances like ours, in which life expectancy is getting longer and longer, who decides who can be a mother and who cannot? Should we still rely on biological age? Little Ana will undoubtedly have the most important thing: she will be loved, cared for and educated. Three essential conditions that all parents should offer to her children.
Unfortunately this is not always the case, even if they have the biological age to engender them. Having children should also be an act of responsibility and consequence. Always and in all cases. And the only thing to blame for Ana Obregón is that her daughter won’t be able to enjoy her as much as she will surely want when she starts to get older. But this is not guaranteed to anyone. Life is like that, fickle. And today it’s time to celebrate the arrival into the world of a new one. Congratulations to both Ana.
