Widower, Jack Annall, is on the cusp of his 101st birthday. However, he will not be able to receive a visit from his daughter, who currently lives in Australia, due to ongoing COVID-19 restrictions.
The thought of reaching such an amazing birthday milestone without the presence of family was disheartening for Jack and aged care home staff, so they decided to reach out to the public to try and lift his spirits.
The manager of the aged care home, Vicky Gudgin, shared her thoughts on the experience with Metro UK.
“I knew he was feeling a little bit down about not being able to see his daughter and I thought, what can we do to lift his spirits? I thought, let’s get the community involved and the extent it has is incredible.”
In a matter of days, Jack has received over 700 birthday cards from all over the world, including a royal surprise in the form of a birthday card from Queen Elizabeth herself.
Jack’s 101st birthday on August 19 is now looking to be a star-studded affair with appearances from members of the local air force and the local mayor. Celebrations are then set to culminate with a brass band.
Staff have set aside a lounge within the care home for the occasion and the home will also supply gifts for the day.
A very HAPPY BIRTHDAY 🎉🎊🍻🎂🍹🍷🍸. Hope you have a good day, from Australia. We are in our eight week of lockdown, but have to carry on. Take care & all the best.
How awesome to hear such a “good news” story. May God bless each and every person who contributed to make Jack’s birthday special
Happy Birthday Jack, you look amazing for 101 to be. I believe your daughter will be with you in spirit on your day sending much love across the ocean from Australia.
Enjoy your celebrations
Ps , to the staff member that went that extra step for Jack, I am so grateful to hear that residents are being cared for and loved. Well done!
Yeah Happy Birthday Jack 🌻🎂🙋♀️🎁