As Helen Mangham's family can't execute the big birthday bash they had planned out for her, her granddaughter has a different idea in mind to make her feel special.
When Helen Mangham was born, Woodrow Wilson was the President of the United States, and World War I was yet to happen. Just as it feels as if the world is about to topple into Word War III, she's going to turn 105. Helen, born on August 2 in 1915, had big plans for her 105th birthday. Her family had planned a huge party with over a hundred guests. Sadly, due to the ongoing public health crisis, she's most likely going to spend her birthday alone—and that's definitely no way to spend a birthday, especially not your 105th. Therefore, her family is asking kindhearted folks to send her birthday cards, CNN reports.
Happy birthday Helen Mangham! The Pike Co. woman turns 100 today! How she plans to celebrate: http://t.co/pPrDri7kE0 pic.twitter.com/wNycjVju0p
— FOX 5 Atlanta (@FOX5Atlanta) August 2, 2015
Her granddaughter Pam Vickers said in an interview with the news outlet that the family was now planning to celebrate with a small get together. She explained, "Due to [the pandemic] this year, we're having to do things a little differently." However, she still wants her grandma to feel super special on her big day. "Even when she gets just a few cards for Christmas or her birthdays in the past, it has just made her so happy," she said. "So I wanted to try to reach out to the world, actually, and just see how many cards we could get for her." Therefore, she has asked people all over the country to mail her birthday cards as a show of love.
I just got a birthday card ready to mail out for this young lady to celebrate her 105th milestone. 🥰 I'm hoping y'all will do the same! Her address is Mrs. Helen Mangham, 257 Wallie Road, Molena, Georgia, 30258, if you'd like to send a card. 😊https://t.co/9JkNSGZfSN
— Stamper’s "Ordained Dudeist Priest" Mom (@StampersMom) July 21, 2020
If the name Helen Mangham sounds a little familiar to you, it's probably because you came across her and her brother, who sadly passed away in his 90s a few years ago. The sibling duo was featured in the 2016 Guinness World Records for their longevity. These days, while Helen isn't as active as she used to be, she's still as spritely as she can be. Pam shared, "She's not on any medication, she doesn't take anything. She's, I guess, as healthy as a 105-year-old can be." Up until her 80s, the grandma got around pretty well—she even mowed her own yard. Nonetheless, her family helps her out now. Pam cooks meals for her and her son, Helen's 85-year-old son, heats them up for her. He also takes care of things around the house.
According to Pam, Helen credits her long life to trusting God and living by the Bible. If you would like to send a note of appreciation or a birthday card to her, you can mail it to 257 Wallie Road, Molena, Georgia, 30258. Over a century later, she still lives in Lifsey Springs, a rural area in Pike County, about an hour south of Atlanta. Let's make Helen's 105th a special one!