When she was admitted to a nursing college in the late 1980s, Asunta Wagura hoped to build a bright future in the nursing sector.
Unknown to her, her college would be cut abruptly, in the most unceremonious way, after she was diagnosed with HIV/AIDS, one of the most dreaded ailments then.
In an interview with CNN in 2011 she revealed that even her family rejected her, accusing her of wasting their school fees and later contracting HIV.
"I was told, 'Asunta, I'm sorry, you have AIDS. And she went ahead and told me, 'Now that you're dying we are not going to keep you in this institution ... go back and leave'," she told CNN.
Worst still, she was rejected by her own mother.
"While I was packing my stuff at the college she told me, 'Well, this is it, whether you die or live, you must make sure you compensate me back what it cost me to bring you to this college.' And this was about 20 minutes or so after the disclosure of my HIV status and I was wondering, 'Is this coming from my mother?'"she posed.
Over 30 years later, Wagura has a different tale to tell; a tale of joy after she was blessed with twins, a couple of months before she hits 60.
In a statement on Facebook, Wagura termed it a "tale of unexpected joy and twin delights"
"Ladies and gentlemen, hold onto your hats and ready your hearts for a story that might just lift you off your feet! This year, my life’s narrative took a comedic turn worthy of an Oscar—yes, at the sprightly young age of nearly 60, I’ve become a mother to twin girls! It’s a plot twist I never saw coming, and one I can hardly believe myself!" she exclaimed.
"Some have been guessing, others doubting, but now it's clear: miracles don’t always knock; sometimes, they burst through the door with a glorious, uproarious entrance, I declare with a heart so full it could light up the night sky. To say I'm over the moon would be an understatement; I'm out of the solar system!"
Blessed with two girls in her old age, Wagura says it came as a miracle from God filling her with tremendous joy.
Wagura could be a special case since at her age, scientifically, she is likely to have hit her menopause. Menopause is marked by the end of monthly menstruation (also known as a menstrual period or ‘period’) due to loss of ovarian follicular function. This means that the ovaries stop releasing eggs for fertilisation.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), natural menopause occurs generally between 45 and 55 years for women worldwide.
"Just when I thought my script was set, life handed me a re-write filled with laughter, diapers, and two beautiful princesses. I reflect joyously. Now, I know what some of you might be thinking: "Twins? At your age?" Indeed, as I approach the grand age of 60, many might say this stage of life is better suited for quiet weekends and early bird specials, not midnight feedings and lullabies. But oh, how delightfully wrong they are!" Wagura exclaimed.
"To those sceptics, I turn to the wisdom of the ancient Stoics, who reminds us that, "Fortune favours the bold," and indeed, boldness has never felt so rewarding. Marcus Aurelius himself could not have foreseen such joyous fortune when he mused, “The universe is change; our life is what our thoughts make it.”"
Wagura's encouragement
In her prior years, Wagura has lived a life of activism, encouraging those infected with HIV to live positively. However, as her age advanced, she engaged less in activism work.
"To everyone out there holding onto a dream, feeling it might be too late or too impossible, remember my tale. The God of Asunta, in His wisdom and mirth, does not abide by our earthly textbooks. May He meet you too at the point of your need, and may your dreams find their joyous twilight!" she added.
"Welcome into the world my two princesses, who have so graciously turned this seasoned script into a thrilling new chapter! Let us all raise a toast (of warm milk, perhaps?): to unexpected blessings, to life's infinite laughter, and to the joyous pandemonium of parenthood, no matter the season," she concluded.
