“I Want to Live to Be 105 to See Him Graduate,” the Story of the Doctor Who Became a Father at 83

Bringing a child into the world is the greatest joy in the history of a couple, and although it is most common to have a child between our second and fourth decade, there are occasions when the miracle of life can surprise us in old age. That was the case with Argentinean doctor Alberto Cormillot, who married a woman 48 years younger than him and became a father at the age of 83.

At Bright Side, we believe that life still has a lot to offer in old age. That’s why we want to tell you the story of this man, who decided to start a new family as a senior, with a philosophy of living that demolishes all prejudices.

A life dedicated to improving the health of a country

Born on August 31, 1938, in Buenos Aires, he is Argentina’s most famous nutritionist. Throughout his long career, he has helped thousands of people with eating disorders to change their lives through his obesity treatment institutions, educational activities, and media messages.

The purest love knows no age or prejudice.

Although he is recognized for his great career, his personal life came into the public eye in 2019, when he announced that he was going to marry Estefanía Pasquini, a woman who was 48 years younger than him.

And in 2021, they welcomed their first child. As for his kid’s diet, the doctor said that he and his wife agreed that their child wouldn’t eat any salt or sugar for the first 2 years.

With the news of his paternity at that age, prejudiced comments from third parties were unfortunately not long in coming, like when some journalists ironically said that “he was about to have a little orphan,” and questioned how long he would be able to be present in his son’s life.

But the couple remained strong in the face of criticism, as both were convinced of their decision and no one was going to take away their joy. “Everything people have talked about this week, we already talked about 3 months ago [...]. I didn’t ask myself the question (about age), I’m asking it now, since people have started to mention it,” the doctor said.

For her part, she is aware that one day he will no longer be around, but it is something she is ready to face when the time comes: “They don’t say anything that I don’t know, or that Alberto doesn’t know, or that we haven’t talked about [...]. I talked about it with my friends and they told me ’Yes, it’s going to happen, you’re going to have a child and tomorrow he won’t be there, for logical reasons of life [...]. And when he is no longer there, we will all be there to take you forward’,” she confessed.

Finally, the couple’s dream came true on September 17, 2021, when the long-awaited baby, Emilio, was born in perfect condition. 2 days later, they went home together to begin their new adventure.

Cormillot already knew what it was like to be a dad for more than 50 years, after the birth of his daughter, Reneé, and later his son Adrián. But the amount of time that passed between the birth of his last child and the new one, he confessed, makes him feel like a first-time father, as he is discovering modern things about babies now:

“I don’t remember much of what the experience is anymore. Yesterday we went to look for strollers, so we did a course on strollers. These didn’t even exist back then, they used to be much more primitive [...]. Before there were cloth diapers that were washed and changed, and today it is totally different,” he said.

His children have accepted their father’s decision about his new life and their new baby brother despite the years that separate them: “My son said that he will have someone to play catch with, and having a brother is something he will like. And Reneé, as a female child, is ambivalent. On the one hand, she’s happy and on the other hand, it’s hard for her,” he said.

Old age as a new possibility to do it all

Having a child at 83 is a milestone. Alberto is a true reflection of the fact that old age can be lived in a very positive way, and criticizes the negative connotation that society has about it:

“People are biased with respect to an older adult, there is a cliché: an older person cannot have children or have fun [...]. A single-parent family can have a child, but not an elderly person. It is not a very wise thing to do. A senior citizen is an overload, they are disposable, disposable, not even recyclable, and many people buy that. And I don’t buy it and I didn’t buy it,” he said.

Although life has beaten him down, his way of dealing with age is remarkable. He stays active by tap dancing and aerial dancing: “I had cancer twice, which is a disease associated with older people, and the X-rays show that my knees are shot, as are my shoulders and spine. In total, I’ve accumulated more than 30 injuries. There seems to be a contradiction between my medical history and my life because you see me and realize that I do the same things I’ve always done,” he said.

Despite the challenges he faces with his age, he said he wants to live to be 105 to see his young son graduate. “I won’t be able to be like a young man of 30 can be, that’s for sure, but I’ll do what I can do,” he said regarding his reality, and added that he left a very special gift for when Emilio is older: “I got him a phone with a line and I send him WhatsApp messages and record stories, send him photos and tell him what I’m doing.”

What do you think the benefits and drawbacks are of having children at an advanced age?