A WOMAN who was forced to celebrate her 100th birthday without any family because of the pandemic was given a surprise reunion for her 101st.
Lily Thornett, who lives at Care UK’s Heather View Care Home in Crowborough, was unable to see her only son when she reached her century last June due to travel restrictions from his home in the US.
But Brian Thornett, along with wife Suzanne, were able to make the trip across the pond for his mother’s birthday on June 24 this year.
The pair made sure they left enough time to quarantine before seeing Lily for a big celebration.
Until her 101st birthday party, Lily had not seen her family since the pandemic began.
Lily said: “It was so lovely to see my family again. It was a very special day, and we had a lot of fun.”
The family were treated with a special birthday cake and were entertained by an Elvis Presley impersonator.
Heather View Care Home manager Natasha King said it was “an emotional day” for Lily.
“But the smile on her face when she was reunited with her family said it all,” she said.
“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.”
Born in London in 1920, Lily was a milliner after leaving school and was set to go to Paris to train in 1939 until the Second World War broke out and scuppered her plans.
She was a telephone operator at Greenwich Town Hall during the war, before marrying husband Victor in 1942 and welcoming their only child Brian later that year.
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