At 56, Angela Peters, an Australian mum of five and grandma of 12, has defied expectations and given birth to twin girls, Khorus and Knowyn, after a whirlwind romance and IVF journey with her 39-year-old Nigerian husband, Bright.
“I may have been 56 years old… but I’d never been happier,” Angela said as quoted by 9news Nigeria, describing the moment pink confetti rained down at her gender reveal party.
Angela’s journey to motherhood again began in 2019 after divorcing her husband of over two decades.
“Raising my kids was the joy of my life, but over the years, I realised I wasn’t happy in my marriage,” she said.
In March 2020, she joined a dating site and connected with Emeka, a Nigerian man. But it was Emeka’s younger brother, Bright—a cook based in South Africa—who caught her attention.
“When I saw his photo, it was like a thunderbolt. I knew this was the man I was meant to be with.”
Despite a 17-year age gap and 9,000 miles between them, their connection grew. In February 2021, Angela flew to Nigeria to meet Bright in person.
“Hugging him for the first time, I felt like I’d known him my whole life.” Bright proposed the next day, and they married in a small civil ceremony just nine days later.
Her children were initially shocked. “They were worried Bright was a romance scammer,” she recalled. But over time, Bright won over her family.
Angela, already going through perimenopause, believed having more children was out of reach. But Bright’s hope for twin girls stayed with her.
At 54, the Australian grandma, determined to make his dream a reality, considered surrogacy and even advised him to have a baby with another woman. “Luckily, fate had other plans,” she said.
During a visit to Nigeria in 2023, they discovered IVF clinics willing to treat older women. With donor eggs and Bright’s sperm, Angela was able to carry the pregnancy herself. “In December, we were overwhelmed with joy when we took a pregnancy test and it was positive,” she said.
By the eight-week scan, two heartbeats confirmed Bright’s vision—twins. “Seeing the pink confetti fall, I realised Bright’s prediction was coming true.”
Though there was criticism online about her age, Angela brushed it off.
“It’s sexist… men have children in their 60s or older and no one bats an eyelid. I knew that the girls would always have a large, loving family.”
The twins were born in August 2024, weighing 5lbs each. Angela describes the experience as her easiest pregnancy yet. “I was changing nappies and doing the night feeds without blinking.”
Her daughter Deina, 28, admitted she was initially sceptical: “I had fears Bright was a scammer… then I got the shocking news they’d got married and wanted me to be their surrogate! But Mum flew through the pregnancy and put my mind at rest. She’s so incredible with the girls. It’s a wonder to see.”
Angela now hopes her story inspires others: “To those who dream of motherhood later in life, don’t lose hope. My journey took me across continents, but it’s led me to this beautiful moment. Now, both my hands and my heart are full.”
