A 41-year-old mother has revealed how she is often mistaken for her son’s girlfriend – or sister – because she looks so young.
Shimmi Munshi is the envy of all her friends and family, who believe she has discovered the secret of eternal youth.
Single mum Shimmi, from Bolton, said: ‘As an adult, I’ve always looked young. As my friends began ageing, I seemed to go in the opposite direction, but I’ve no idea why.
‘As a teenager, I was one of the taller ones, so if anything, I looked a little older than my friends. But at 5’5′, I stopped growing, and I had a very slim, petite frame.’
At 20, Shimmi gave birth to Ameen, her only son, who is now 20 and even as a teenager she was mistaken for his girlfriend.
‘I was a single mum, juggling work and motherhood, and anyone would think the stress might have started to show. Instead, I seemed to stop ageing,’ she revealed.
I didn’t notice it particularly, but all my friends did. They were all moaning that I’d discovered the secret of eternal youth and they wanted me to share it.
‘At the school-gates, the other mums would ask if I’d had plastic surgery, or if I had spent a fortune on skin creams and beauty treatments.
Shimmi Munshi, 41, from Bolton is so youthful she’s often mistaken for her 20-year-old son Ameen’s girlfriend of sister
The mother-of-one said that despite being a single mother at 20, tiredness and stress did not take its toll on her face
‘And they were gutted to learn I had no secrets. There was no mystery at all to the way I looked.
‘I’d certainly never had cosmetic surgery. And my beauty routine consisted of baby wipes and whatever moisturiser was on special offer in the supermarket!
I have never spent a lot of money on beauty products though of course, I take care of myself; I drink green tea and I don’t smoke or drink booze. I’m a member of the local gym and I drink lots of water.
But I am no fitness fanatic or beauty queen. In fact, I rarely look in the mirror. I don’t actually think about my looks much at all.’
When he was a teenager, people thought Shimmi was Ameen’s girlfriend – leading to a few embarrassing situations
On holiday in Turkey one of the tour guides kept treating mother and son as a couple
Shimmi with Ameen when he was younger. She said that as her friends’ faces started to show the passage of time she’s stayed more or less the same
The mother-of-one has never had surgery or treatments. She puts her good skin down to genetics, as well as drinking green tea and going to the gym
Shimmi’s parents, Siraj and Nooie, are pensioners, yet both look great for their age, and so she suspects her youthful looks might be down to lucky genetics.
She says: ‘So if anyone deserved credit, it must be them.’
But her looks have at times been a nuisance.
She says: ‘Sometimes it can get really annoying; I’ve been asked for ID buying alcohol so many times and sometimes they just refuse to serve me outright.
Shimmi doesn’t drink alcohol or smoke and consumes plenty of water and green tea
Ameen didn’t like the attention his mother got when he was a teenager, but the pair are incredibly close
At parents evening, Ameen’s teacher said she wanted to speak to his mother rather than his sister after mistaking Simmi for his sibling
Ameen lives at home with his mother while he studies IT and the pair have a very close relationship
Shimmi looks the picture of health despite battling the debilitating condition gastroparesis. The health condition causes her to vomit up to 60 times a day
‘It’s worth it though to see the look on the shop assistant’s face when I hand over my ID.
‘I feel like the female version of Peter Pan – the girl who never grew up.
‘When my son was younger, people we didn’t know presumed we were either brother and sister or a couple.
‘We were so close, because I had brought him up on my own, and so there was a special bond between us.
‘Anyone who met us would just naturally treat him like he was my boyfriend.
‘We went on holiday to Poland, and I had booked an excursion, and the tour guide wouldn’t believe that we were mum and son. He kept insisting we were a couple and Ameen was so embarrassed.
‘Another time, in Turkey, the locals thought we were brother and sister.
‘At Ameen’s prom night, people thought we were a couple too. It’s very flattering and it made me giggle but it drove him mad.
‘Even at parents’ evening at high school, his teacher said to me: ‘We really would rather see Ameen’s mum.’ She thought I was his sister!
‘As a teenager, he didn’t like all the attention.
Shimmi still gets mistaken for Ameen’s girlfriend.
‘He is now 20 and has got used to the constant comments about his mum’s looks.
Shimmi says: ‘I think he’s finally accepted all the fuss.
‘He still lives at home and we are as close as ever, so it hasn’t affected our relationship at all. He’s training in IT and I’m very proud of him.’
Shimmi’s appearance is made all the more surprising because she suffers from a debilitating disease known as gastroparesis, which makes her vomit up to 60 times a day.
She has spent the last ten years in and out of hospital – and yet still manages to look the picture of health.
Shimmi says: ‘I might be feeling absolutely rubbish but somehow I still manage to look young. I wish I had some special secret I could share – but the truth is, I’ve no idea how I do it.
‘Hopefully my good luck will last into old age and I will be still be looking 30 when I’m 80!’