Spanish actress Ana Obregón made headlines in 2023 after making an extraordinary and controversial decision in the wake of her son’s death — choosing to honour his final wish by using his sperm to have a child via surrogate.

Ana’s son, Aless Lequio, tragically passed away from cancer in 2022 at just 27 years old. In the aftermath of his death, Ana revealed that he had expressed a deep desire to become a father; something she was determined to fulfil.

A year later, Ana welcomed a baby girl via surrogacy in the United States. She later clarified that the child, named Anita, was not her daughter, but her granddaughter; conceived with Aless’ preserved sperm.

“This girl is not my daughter, she is my granddaughter,” Ana told ¡Hola! in April 2023. “She is Aless’ daughter, and when she grows up I will tell her that her dad was a hero, so she knows who he is and how proud she should be of him.”

Now 70, Ana recently spoke on Spanish television about the bittersweet joy she’s found in raising Anita, all while continuing to mourn the loss of her only son.

“My house is full of stuffed animals and toys,” she said, smiling, per The London Evening Standard. “I even have a little ball pool where she makes me dive in.”