Jon Gaunt, writing for The Sun, expressed his disgust, stating: “The news that the selfish 62-year-old, Patricia Rashbrook, has ‘given birth’ to a baby boy makes me sick to my stomach.”
Karren Brady, in the Birmingham Mail, dismissed the notion entirely, likening Rashbrook to aging rock stars who have children later in life.
“I understand that there are older rock stars like Michael Douglas, Rod Stewart, and Mick Jagger who are fathers to young kids, but they can do so because they have the means. Women of the same age aren’t in the same position, or they shouldn’t be.”
Josephine Quintavalle from the lobby group Comment on Reproductive Ethics criticized the couple’s decision: “It would be hard to find anyone in this country who thinks this is a good idea, and…
Even Patricia’s cousin, Valerie Rashbrook, found it hard to comprehend her choice.
“I’m the same age as Patricia, and after just 10 minutes of looking after my grandchildren, I’m exhausted from all their antics. I honestly can’t fathom how she plans to care for a newborn,” she shared with the press.
On the other hand, AN Wilson, writing for the London Evening Standard, took a different stance, highlighting the hypocrisy behind the criticism. “Women in their 60s today are generally healthy and often make excellent caregivers for children. Why the fuss over alleged selfishness? Is it that seeing a capable, attractive woman find happiness stirs envy in others?”
A love that defied the odds.
For Patricia and John, their journey was never about setting records or creating controversy — it was simply about love.
John, a consultant in higher education, had no children before meeting Patricia. He expressed how fatherhood transformed him in ways he never anticipated.
“From the moment we met, Patti saw something in me that I had never recognized. On our first date eight years ago, she noticed my sadness when I mentioned not having children. She told me, ‘You would have made a wonderful father,’ and I remember tears welling up in my eyes. Now, I shed tears for a different reason. By some incredible miracle, I am a father.”
