Journey to parenthood: The long path to twins for Singaporean man and 20-year-younger Vietnamese wife

"I see both myself and my wife in our children," Tang, who had his first two children at the age of 66, says.

The Singaporean man met Trang, a Vietnamese, in Singapore in 2007. He was 48 and she, 28.

They started living together two years later, and, after marriage, Trang began working for his company, which imports high-end fabrics and furnishings for upmarket hotels. Tang retired five years ago due to diabetes.

Their marriage, though founded on love, had to navigate numerous challenges, including cultural and linguistic differences and the 20-year age gap.

"But our most significant challenge was the journey to have a child," Tang remarks.

(From L) Thuy Trang, her husband Mark Tang, and Dr. Truong Van Phi at Hanoi General Hospital in 2024. Photo courtesy of Trang and Tang

After years of trying unsuccessfully, they turned to in vitro fertilization (IVF) at a general hospital in Singapore. They spent SG$30,000 (US$22,279) but the effort was in vain.

Medical tests indicated that both their sperm and egg quality was very low, drastically reducing their chances of conception.

Following their initial failed attempt Trang suffered a severe psychological crisis, marked by incessant crying at all hours. She became so distraught that she shunned any mention of IVF or encouragement.

But deep down, Tang did not give up hope. He believed that "the IVF procedure had not been fully or optimally executed."

A few years later they sought treatment at a renowned traditional medicine center in Singapore, but there was to be no miracle.

"At that time we believed Singapore offered the best healthcare in the world, so we never considered alternatives," Tang says.

In 2022 Tang convinced Trang to relocate to Da Nang, Vietnam, for again trying IVF. They consulted several maternity hospitals in Da Nang and neighboring Hue, only to be told that their chances of success were less than 5%.

Determined, they chose Hanoi General Hospital for its specialized men’s health center, where Dr. Truong Van Phi says their situation was especially challenging, as they both needed special endocrinological treatment to enhance their chances of producing healthy eggs and sperm for IVF.

"This required enduring significant pain, hardship and expense," the doctor says.

Trang and Tang then embarked on a challenging journey, traveling the 700 km between Da Nang and Hanoi multiple times. Trang underwent numerous egg stimulation injections and sleepless nights due to side effects, while both she and her husband took several medicines.

After their numerous failures Tang was hesitant to harbor hope. Even when the doctor reported promising results from his sperm retrieval surgery, he felt no jubilation. On the other hand, Trang’s hopes were growing stronger each day.

After an embryo transfer early in summer 2024, the couple returned to Da Nang. The ensuing two-week wait seemed endless.

On the day of the test result Trang gripped her husband’s hand, her heart pounding, as the doctor slowly revealed the outcome. After a brief silence the doctor smiled and said: "Congratulations!"

At that moment all the years of sleepless nights, painful injections and accumulated disappointments seemed to vanish in an instant. Trang wept in her husband’s embrace, and Tang also shed tears.

"We did it, my love," he said, choked.

The pregnancy itself was fraught with difficulties. Early on Trang was constantly plagued by anxiety about the baby’s safety, and it was not until halfway through the pregnancy that her fears began to subside, though the physical discomforts like back pain, swollen legs and breathing difficulties persisted.

Tang devoted himself entirely to caring for his wife and unborn child.

Trang says: "I am grateful to Dr. Nguyen Thi Thu [Hanoi General Hospital], who always provided solutions and encouragement for any issues that arose during the pregnancy."

In Jan. 2025, as the Lunar New Year festival neared, their dream materialized as Trang gave birth to twins at a hospital in Da Nang.

Tang holding his twin babies in his arms. Photo courtesy of Tang

Dr. Phi attributes the couple’s success to their perseverance and trust in the treatment regimen.

For now Tang has bought an apartment near the beach in Da Nang.

"The children will have both Vietnamese and Singaporean citizenship if they desire," Tang says. "We will do everything possible to open up the world to them."