Family Gets Creative To Celebrate Grandma's 95th Birthday Amid Coronavirus Pandemic

Mar 30, 2020 by apost team

We're living in challenging times right now with the coronavirus pandemic, but the outpouring of touching stories has been a pleasure to see. One such story is about a family in New York, who wanted to celebrate their matriarch Grandma Byrne's 95th birthday, but social distancing kept them from being able to. Well the Byrne family got creative instead, and managed to celebrate her from a safe distance by standing separated out on her front lawn, while she stayed at her front door, in turn bringing joy and happiness on her special day.

The video was posted to Instagram by Sara Byrne, one of the women in the family. In it, over 10 people can be seen standing on Grandma Byrne's front lawn –– albeit close to the curb, so as to keep a safe distance –– singing Happy Birthday, as they hold handmade signs spelling out "Happy birthday" and wear party hats and hold balloons. The family members and friends are also adhering to social distancing themselves, as they're separated out at least six feet from each other.

In the video, Grandma Byrne watches on with a wide smile on her face, obviously overjoyed that her loved ones haven't forgotten her on her special day. She can be heard saying "Oh, I love it. Thank you. I'm sorry we all couldn't be together, but you are all together."

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Sara Byrne, who posted the video, captioned it with: "If you're lucky enough to know Grandma Byrne, you're lucky enough!! Wishing this amazing lady a very happy 95th birthday today, love you Gram!"

The post has since gone viral, with over 40,000 views and strangers all over the world sending birthday well wishes and commending the family for celebrating in a way that's safe in these dire times. Their creativity in this time has not only brought happiness to their Grandma and each other, but to strangers they do not even know.

The Coronavirus pandemic has caused many people the world over to alter their usual habits and routines, and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. While the virus is not a certain death sentence, it is very dangerous for people with weakened immune systems, such as the elderly, or those with underlying medical conditions. 

It's up to us all to do our part in helping to curb the spread of the virus, with many people staying home in a bid to socially distance themselves from others in the community. 

In New York City alone there have been 1871 cases of COVID-19, so it's important that we all uphold the recommendations from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Protection (CDC).

What do you think of the Byrne family's heartwarming birthday celebration? How would you get creative and celebrate someone in these times? Let us know in the comments and be sure to pass this on to your loved ones.