The story of Ilona Epres: The grandmother who gave birth to her grandchild
When life puts up roadblocks, some families find extraordinary ways to keep moving forward. Bernadette and her husband Zoltán faced years of heartache in their quest for a child, enduring failed treatments, miscarriages, and loss. Just as their hope began to fade, an unexpected idea emerged: could Bernadette’s mother, Ilona Epres, carry their child?
Without the years of hardship Bernadette and her husband Zoltán have endured, this extraordinary story would not have come to life. The couple tried for years to have children, but fate kept depriving them of the joy of motherhood and fatherhood. IVF and infertility treatments failed seven times, Bernadett miscarried several times, and they lost their only surviving premature child. But her desire for motherhood was so deep that these tragedies almost consumed Bernadette.
According to Blikk, her devotion to her child had been with her since childhood, and as the years passed and her hopes seemed to fade, she fell into a deepening lethargy, questioning the meaning of her life. Ilona Epres, as a loving mother, could not stand by and watch her daughter suffer, and the emergence of a new opportunity changed everything.
The extraordinary idea: Grandma as a life-giver
A doctor came up with the idea: why shouldn’t a grandmother carry her grandchild? The idea, though unusual, seemed natural to Ilona Epres. Health tests confirmed that she was in excellent health and that pregnancy would not pose any particular risk. However, the idea was obstructed by legal restrictions in Hungary: Ilona was deemed too old to become pregnant. However, the UK welcomed the family with open arms, where the legal environment is more open to such procedures.
Ilona was inseminated using Bernadett’s eggs and Zoltan’s sperm. The grandmother agreed to give birth to her granddaughter immediately, and throughout the nine months of pregnancy, she radiated determination and love.
On the 30th of September in London, a moment that would be remembered for the rest of Ilona’s life and that of her family happened. At 3.5 kilos, Danika’s healthy birth set a unique world record: 43 years elapsed between Ilona’s first and current births, two years longer than the previous record. According to the British birth certificate, Danika was officially Ilona Epres’s son, later registered in an adoption procedure under the names Bernadette and Zoltán.
After the birth, Ilona tearfully embraced the newborn in the presence of her daughter. Doctors praised the mature mother, whose pregnancy had gone without complications and who had even been able to breastfeed Danika for the first month.
Grandmother and grandchild
In an interview with Sándor Friderikusz, Ilona said that she and Danika have a very special relationship. The grandmother smiled as she talked about how her granddaughter somehow instinctively senses the deep bond between them. “As soon as I speak, Danika smiles at me, as if she knows I am part of her life,” she said. Ilona considers not only the birth of the child but also the spiritual salvation of her daughter a huge success.
Ilona Epres’s act can serve as a global example. Not only did she help make her daughter’s family complete, but she also sent a universal message about selflessness and the power of family. “For me, it was not superhuman, it was the most natural thing in the world,” said the grandmother, who never questioned the rightness of her decision.
The story also highlights the differences between Hungarian and international regulations. According to Blikk, while Hungary has strict restrictions on surrogacy and egg donation, the UK, the US and other countries such as Spain and the Czech Republic are much more flexible. Under Hungarian rules, egg donation is only possible for women under 35 who have already given birth, which significantly limits the possibility of such procedures.
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