'It made her day' - Delight for 100-year-old Cradley Heath woman as hundreds of birthday cards help her celebrate special day
A Cradley Heath care home resident celebrating her 100th birthday received an unexpected windfall of hundreds of cards thanks to kind-hearted strangers.
The staff at Roxburgh House Care Home in Cradley Heath had called on the public to help make Irene Weaver's 100th birthday on Wednesday (May 28) a special one by sending in birthday cards.
They had hoped for around 100 cards, but found that more than 370 had been sent to the home in time for Irene's birthday party, with a mixture of homemade and shop-bought cards being sent in.
Wellbeing coordinator Georgina Edkins said it had been a lovely surprise for both Irene and the staff and said that there were even more on the way.
She said: "We really weren't expecting that many to come in and I've had a few phone calls from people who have told me that they have cards that were sent to their homes, rather than here, so we are waiting on a few more.
"Today has been lovely and has gone really well, with Irene really enjoying her celebrations, with a singer coming in and her family being here to celebrate with her.
"It really made Irene's day to see the cards and she was talking about how she couldn't believe how well the community could come together to send over the cards like they did."
Irene was born in Birmingham in 1925 and grew up alongside four sisters and a brother, later working in a warehouse.
After marrying her husband Tom, the couple raised three children, with Irene now a proud grandmother to six and great-grandmother to another six.
Known for her love of animals, especially cats and dogs, Irene moved into Roxburgh House in March with the support of her family.
Ms Edkins said Irene was a lovely lady with a great personality and everyone at the home was delighted to help her celebrate her big day.
She said: "She has a beautiful personality and always uses her manners and always looks forward to seeing everyone in the morning and especially loves a cup of tea in the morning.
"We really do appreciate what the community has done and how many people have worked to make sure she has had a lovely birthday."
