“A very special day” - Crowborough resident reunited with overseas family to celebrate 101st birthda

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Jul 16, 2021

A resident at a Crowborough care home was reunited with loved ones from overseas for her 101^st birthday.  

Birthday celebrations were in full swing at Care UK’s Heather View, on Beacon Road, when resident Lilian ‘Lily’ Thornett turned 101 years ‘young’.

Due to the pandemic, Lily’s family, who lives in the United States, were unable to travel to celebrate her birthday with her last year. With some extra planning to make the visit as safe as possible, including flying earlier to allow enough time to quarantine, her children were able to join her for an emotional reunion and garden party to toast the big milestone for her 101^st celebration.

On the day, Lily and her family were treated to a special birthday cake, specially made by Heather View’s chef, and enjoyed a groovy performance from an Elvis impersonator.

Lily said: “It was so lovely so see my family again. It was a very special day and we had a lot of fun.”

Home manager at Heather View, Natasha King, said: “There’s nothing like toasting a big milestone with loved ones, so we’re thrilled Lily’s family was able to join her this year.

“It was a very emotional day for Lily, but the smile on her face when she was reunited with her family said it all. We always like to throw a big party for celebrations, but we knew this one had to be extra special – so we invited an Elvis impersonator to the home and decorated the garden to make it the perfect party location.

“It’s been a challenging year, but it finally feels like things are slowly returning to normal, as more and more residents are reunited with loved ones. We’re looking forward to celebrating more big milestones with Lily and her family in the future.”

Lilian was born on 24^th June 1920 in London and moved to Heather View in September last year. After she left school, she became a milliner and was offered the opportunity to move to Paris to further her training in 1939 – unfortunately, war broke out and she became a telephone operator at Greenwich Town Hall instead, assisting the emergency services. Lilian and her husband Victor married in Greenwich, London, in 1942 and welcomed their first and only child Brian the same year, before later retiring to Uckfield.

A keen gardener, Lilian’s love of the outdoors started in her younger years, as she was often found climbing trees in Greenwich Park or exploring nearby seaside towns on family days out. After she moved to East Sussex, she enjoyed visiting local stately homes and gardens.

Heather View has been designed to deliver the very best standards of care and to enable residents to live active and fulfilled lives. The home provides full-time residential, nursing and dementia care, as well as short-term respite and palliative care. The home has its own space for activities, as well as a cinema, sensory room and café.

To find out more about Heather View care home, call 01892 883 574 or email customer relations manager, Gailynne Peters, at gailynne.peters@careuk.com