• 7 months ago
100 year old Edith Gallagher celebrates her birthday with family.
Transcript
00:00I'm Avril, I'm Edith's daughter, middle child. I live in England, married and live in Hampshire.
00:22And I have two sons, two grandsons of Edith.
00:27And what's your thoughts about the day of your mother reaching 100 years old?
00:31It's absolutely amazing. I never thought the day would come because she's had health problems and such.
00:39But she was looking forward to today, so it's great that she's been able to be here.
00:45How is she today? Is she well today?
00:47Earlier on this morning she was really really bright, but she's had so many people come to see her that she's getting very tired now.
00:54And I think she'll be very tired tomorrow as well.
00:58What's it like seeing all the family get together for Edith's birthday like this?
01:02It's great. Some of the family I haven't seen for several years in fact.
01:06I mean I've been coming over regularly to see my mother.
01:10So I've seen my brother and sister quite a bit. Some of the other cousins I haven't seen for several years.
01:19Is it an emotional day?
01:21Sorry?
01:22Is it an emotional day?
01:23Oh very very, yeah. Especially as I can now see my mother getting really really tired.
01:29I think it's a bit overwhelming for her. It hasn't been an emotional day.
01:34Stephen?
01:37Go ahead.
01:48Yeah, sure. I'm Edith's son. My name's Stephen Gallagher.
01:52We never thought we'd see this day.
01:56But mum made a hundred I suppose as a surprise.
02:01She's from the north of England and they make them stout up there.
02:05She's a Lancashire woman and they always say Lancashire blood means strong blood.
02:10So she's just a blow in.
02:13I think our blood is probably not as strong as hers.
02:17I don't think I'll see it.
02:20Can you tell me what the emotions that you're feeling today is?
02:23It's actually been a bit of a rollercoaster of late because mum's been so early for quite some time.
02:31It's only the last few weeks that she's actually started to come round a wee bit and feel a wee bit more upbeat.
02:39But even in the earlier part of this week it actually felt like she was very tired.
02:45She slept for a couple of days.
02:47But just yesterday she came round really well and there today, well, she's doing her best.
02:52But I think she's already punctured.
02:56What's it like seeing your family at the end of the day?
03:01We're quite well scattered as a family.
03:04It's nearly always it's weddings and funerals and birthdays and cases like that that we see each other.
03:10It's lovely to be together again.
03:13There's a number of folks here I'm looking forward to chatting to because I haven't seen them in a long time.
03:18It's a great occasion.

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