Colorado woman celebrates 104th birthday during pandemic
When Muriel Hailey was born, the United States was still two years away from a deadly influenza pandemic that would eventually claim the lives of an estimated 675,000 Americans.
That was in 1916. On Wednesday, Hailey turned 104 years old. And because of the current pandemic we’re in, it was the first birthday since Hailey turned 85 that she was unable to see her family members in person.
“She’s quite the birthday gal,” said Hailey’s son Gerry.
Hailey lives at the AltaVita Senior Residences in Longmont, CO. She has three children—a daughter in Utah, a son in Florida, and another son in Boulder. Her family in Boulder has been able to visit her a few times since the beginning of the pandemic, albeit through a glass window at the living facility. Visitors are currently not allowed inside the facility.
“It’s not fun for anyone, much less for me,” Hailey said. “The bad part about it is there’s no date for the end of [the pandemic]. We don’t know how much longer we’re going to have to go through this.”
Thankfully, modern technology has allowed Hailey to have virtual visits with her family. The staff at AltaVita is able to set up Zoom chats for Hailey and her family.
In 1982, Time Magazine selected “The Computer” as its Person of the Year. When the issue was released, Hailey was 66 years old. Did she ever envision that almost 40 years later, she would be looking through one of those computer screens to see her family on her birthday?
“I had no idea,” Hailey said with a big smile.
“The old Brownie camera, that was my speed. It’s beyond me and I don’t understand [computers] at all, and I’m not even trying to. I’m too old to get involved,” she said with a laugh.
“It would have been nice if we had taught her the computer a few years ago so that she could do this and had a phone where we could FaceTime and things like that,” said Trish Ayers, Hailey’s daughter. “ It’s hard to do that now, particularly when we can’t even be there to help her with it.”
Ayers lives in Southern Utah and has not been able to see her mother, apart from Zoom calls, because of the no-visitor policy at the nursing homes.
The unusual birthdays and innovative visits are becoming a familiar sight. in June, we brought you the story of Alma Ryan, the 102-year-old Centennial resident who celebrated her birthday with her neighbors through a front window.
“It’s no fun to be separated,” Hailey said. Still, she is thankful that she has her health, and she has learned to accept that unfortunate circumstances brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I’m still going to keep going,” Hailey said. “I’m not in pain or anything, so as long as that keeps up, it’s okay.”
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