Mother who gave birth to twins at 60 shares story of grief, survival and motherhood

A 76-year-old woman, once recognised as China’s oldest mother of twins, has returned to limelight after a photo series documenting her life won an international award.

Sheng Hailin, from China’s Anhui province, has also built a large following online, attracting nearly one million followers through videos that offer encouragement to parents coping with grief and loss, according to South China Morning Post.

Daughter’s death changed her life

Sheng’s only daughter, Tingting, and her husband died from carbon monoxide poisoning in 2009. Devastated by the tragedy and fearful of spending the rest of her life alone, Sheng decided to undergo IVF treatment the following year despite being 60 years old.

The pregnancy came with serious health complications. She reportedly experienced severe swelling and repeated bleeding before eventually giving birth to twin daughters, Zhizhi and Huihui, in 2010.

At the time, Sheng became the oldest woman in China known to have given birth.

The birth of the twins gave Sheng and her husband a renewed sense of purpose, but it also triggered widespread debate across China. Many questioned whether the elderly couple would be financially capable of raising the children and supporting them into adulthood.

Before retirement, Sheng had worked as a hospital director, while her husband had been a university professor. However, the costs of childcare, education and household support still created enormous financial strain.

To provide stability for her daughters, Sheng travelled around China delivering lectures on nutrition and health. The income reportedly helped fund the girls’ schooling as well as extra lessons in piano and dance.

Further setbacks after rebuilding her life

The family later faced another series of hardships.

In 2016, Sheng’s husband suffered a stroke. He later died from heart and lung failure in 2022 and was buried beside the couple’s eldest daughter, the outlet reported.

A year later, Sheng reportedly lost more than two million yuan after allegedly being drawn into fraudulent investment schemes by a woman surnamed Chen.

Despite the setbacks, Sheng continued pushing forward. Calling herself a “brave woman”, she turned to live-streaming at the age of 73 to secure her daughters’ future.

From grieving mother to online inspiration

Now affectionately known online as “Mother Sheng”, she shares parenting advice, cooking content and lifestyle tips while selling household and health products through live broadcasts.

Many followers see her as a source of hope for parents struggling to rebuild their lives after loss and hardship.

Sheng has also spoken openly about the age gap between herself and her daughters, saying she makes an effort to stay connected to younger generations by understanding modern trends and sharing her children’s interests.

“I will always be proud to be a mother,” Sheng once said, adding that she hoped to live beyond the age of 100.

According to The Beijing News, Sheng admitted that her journey would be difficult for most people to repeat, as it required good health, financial stability and the ability to continue earning later in life.

Still, she hopes her story encourages mothers facing difficult circumstances to continue living for themselves.

One social media user inspired by her experience wrote: “I lost my child in middle age, but later had another. I was once confused, exhausted and in pain. But after following Sheng’s story, I came to believe I could start my life again.”