Couple's 12-year Fertility Journey Honoured With Special Mother's Inspiration Award

KUALA LUMPUR, May 10 (Bernama) -- After 12 long years of relentless struggle, a couple's dream of having children finally came true, and their remarkable perseverance did not go unnoticed. On Mother's Day, their story earned a special tribute.

They were presented with the inaugural Special Mother's Inspiration Award, created to honour women who have fought the difficult battle to conceive, offering hope and strength to other couples navigating subfertility treatments.

Opening up about her journey, police officer Nurul Zaanizila Mohd Zain, 44, admitted it was anything but easy.

She and her husband, who is also a police officer, endured multiple fertility treatments, including IUI and IVF, before they were finally blessed with twins in 2020.

She shared that the IVF treatment at the National Population and Family Development Board (LPPKN), recommended by friends, was her third attempt. The previous two at other centres had ended in heartbreak.

"I started IVF through LPPKN in 2019. Alhamdulillah, I was confirmed pregnant.

“I stayed on edge the whole time, worried that something might go wrong. I never stopped praying and reciting my zikir. Allah's name never left my lips. 

"My children were born premature and had to spend time in incubators. Today, they are a healthy six-year-old boy and girl," she told reporters after the National Mother's Day Celebration 2026 today.

The event, themes As Steadfast as a Mother's Love, was officiated by the Raja Permaisuri of Perak, Tuanku Zara Salim. Also present was Women, Family and Community Development (KPWKM) Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri.

Her husband, ASP Mohd Azren Isa, 44, had nothing but praise for the fertility treatment under the LPPKN programme, especially the consultation and emotional support given to patients.

"They walked us through the risks without giving false hope, but they never said there was no hope either. They were thoughtful and always sensitive to my wife's feelings," he said.

Tuanku Zara presented the award to Nurul Zaanizila. The couple received an appreciation plaque, a 10-gramme gold bar, and items from Getha Bedding (M) Sdn Bhd worth RM7,535.

In her speech, Nancy shared that KPWKM, through LPPKN, was proud to introduce the Special Mother's Inspiration Award, an honour dedicated to women fighting to conceive, often lovingly called the ‘two-line warriors’.

These women, she said, are not just fighters; they are beacons of hope and inspiration for other couples navigating subfertility treatments.

"The unwavering commitment they have shown is living proof of a woman's inner strength in building a family," she said.

-- BERNAMA