She has been pregnant for 45 years | a 70-year-old woman shocked the world | HO

In a quiet village in East Africa, the story of a woman known as “the walking dead” has captivated and mystified everyone who hears it. At 70 years old, Mama Nuru (name changed for privacy) has lived a life marked by hardship, resilience, and a medical mystery that has stunned doctors and villagers alike: for more than four decades, she has carried what she and her family believed to be a pregnancy that never ended.

A Childhood of Struggle, a Marriage of Pain

Born in 1954, Mama Nuru’s early life was not easy. She lost her father young and grew up helping her mother in the fields. In 1973, at just 19, she married for the first time. “Back then, marriage was not about love. It was about survival,” she recalls, her voice trembling with memory.

Her first husband was an abusive man. “He would come home drunk and beat me for no reason. I was always afraid.” Despite the violence, Mama Nuru became pregnant. But tragedy struck when her first child was stillborn. The loss, coupled with relentless abuse, pushed her to make the courageous decision to leave her husband, even though she was seven months pregnant at the time.

“When I left, he told me, ‘You will never have a child as long as you are away from me.’ I told him I would rather live in peace than die in that house,” she says.

A New Beginning, But the Pregnancy Never Ended

Mama Nuru moved to her grandmother’s house, hoping for a fresh start. But as the months passed, something strange happened: her pregnancy did not progress. The baby stopped moving, but her belly remained swollen. Her estranged husband begged her to return, but she refused.

In 1977, she remarried. Her second husband was a kind, gentle man who accepted her with all her scars. “He told me, ‘Don’t worry about children. I already have some. I just want someone to be by my side and care for me.’ He was the husband I prayed for,” she says, her eyes shining with gratitude.

But the pregnancy persisted. “I was always tired. I couldn’t work in the garden or do heavy chores. My husband would tell me to rest, that he would take care of me. We lived peacefully, and for the first time, I felt the joys of marriage,” she says.

Yet, despite the love and support, Mama Nuru’s belly never returned to normal. “I was always pregnant, but never able to give birth. Some people whispered that I was bewitched by my first husband. Others said it was a punishment from God.”

The Medical Mystery

As the years turned into decades, Mama Nuru’s condition baffled everyone. She visited hospitals and clinics whenever she could afford it. Doctors were mystified. Some suggested she might have a calcified fetus, a rare condition known as lithopedion or “stone baby,” where a fetus dies during an abdominal pregnancy and becomes calcified. Others suspected tumors or cysts.

“Doctors said there was something growing inside me, but it didn’t look like a baby. They wanted to operate, but I had no money for surgery. So I went back home,” she recalls.

Despite her condition, Mama Nuru tried to live as normally as possible. She attended church, cared for her aging mother, and helped neighbors when she could. “Whenever I fasted, I would feel kicks inside me. People would say, ‘It’s not a baby anymore, maybe it’s an animal.’ I didn’t know what to believe.”

A Brush With Death—and a Miracle

A few months ago, Mama Nuru’s story took an even more extraordinary turn. She fell gravely ill after attending a funeral. “I felt severe pain in my stomach and fainted. They rushed me to the hospital. I was vomiting, weak, and in so much pain. Then, I died,” she says.

For a week, Mama Nuru was in the hospital morgue. “The doctors declared me dead. My family mourned me. But by God’s mercy, I came back to life. I woke up on a Wednesday, a whole week after I died. Even the doctors could not believe it. They called me ‘the walking dead.’”

Her resurrection became the talk of the village and beyond. “People were shocked. They said I was a sign from God. Some were scared of me. But I just thank God for giving me another chance.”

Living With the Mystery

Now 70, Mama Nuru’s health is fragile. She suffers from malaria and can no longer do heavy work. Her mother, now 95, is also frail. “We have not had happy holidays for years. Malaria makes us weak, and my condition makes it hard to enjoy anything,” she says.

Despite her hardships, Mama Nuru remains hopeful. “I believe God has a plan for me. I always wondered why I was chosen to carry this burden. Maybe it is so others can learn from my story.”

Doctors still cannot explain her condition. Some suggest surgery, but the risks are high, and Mama Nuru cannot afford it. “If I had money, I would go for the operation and maybe come back to normal. I am tired of being pregnant all these years,” she says.

A Message of Resilience

Mama Nuru’s story is one of suffering, but also of strength. She has endured abuse, loss, poverty, and a medical mystery that defies explanation. Yet, she continues to care for her mother, help her neighbors, and share her story with the world.

“We should always pray for help,” she says. “Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit. I hope my story helps others who are suffering.”

As the sun sets over her village, Mama Nuru sits quietly outside her home, her swollen belly a visible reminder of her 45-year ordeal. She is a living testament to the power of faith and the resilience of the human spirit.