BOGOTÁ – At age 72, Rosalba Casas finally celebrated her 15th birthday on Friday, donning a flowing pink dress and a tiara for the quinceañera she dreamed of as a teenager.

“This is the happiest day because I’m celebrating my 15th birthday,” Casas said, adding that she'd stayed up all night thinking about the big day.

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It was the first time she wore professional makeup or a formal gown, or rode in a limousine, where she joined 28 other older women chosen by the Sueños Hechos (Dreams Come True) Foundation for belated birthday celebrations.

Quinceañeras are a time-honored tradition in Latin America, a often lavish celebration that marks a girl's passage into adulthood when she turns 15. But for the 29 women — mostly grandmothers — honored at this party, childhood har

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