FEATURE: Cape granny who survived Covid-19 celebrates her 101st birthday
A Cape Town granny celebrated her 101st birthday earlier this month after beating Covid-19.
CAPE TOWN, April 30 (ANA) – A Cape Town granny celebrated her 101st birthday earlier this month after winning her battle against Covid-19.
Mina September, from Bellville, was born on a farm in 1920 and says her secret to life has been a passage from the Bible: “Honour your father and your mother so you may have a long life.”
Speaking to African News Agency (ANA), September is still very vocal and as fit as a fiddle.
September contracted Covid-19 after five people within the household tested positive.
Living for more than a century, September understands nothing about technology and spent her life as a housewife making clothes she stitched by hand.
“I have never smoked or drank in my life. Instead I always attended church. I was an only daughter to my father, who also only passed away at the age of 107.
“I have nine children, seven boys and two girls, from which I have 27 grandchildren, 49 great-grandchildren and 24 great-great-grandchildren,” September said.
She jokes that she cannot keep up with the younger ones being born into the family.
In 1955 September married her darling husband, Esau September, and they were married until his passing in 1996.
September describes herself as an exemplary person for others and always treats people with the world’s kindness.
September also describes knowing about the Spanish flu that devastated the world from February 1918 to April 1920.
The Spanish flu was an influenza pandemic caused by the H1N1 influenza A virus and infected an estimated 500 million people – about a third of the world’s population – in four successive waves.
Descendants of the 1918 H1N1 virus make up the influenza viruses we’re fighting today.
“I also had the Spanish flu during that time. I overcame it, and I had Covid-19 and overcame it,” she told ANA.
Her only message to the youth of today is: “I believe the youth of today just need to look after their parents.”
On Friday, her family will be holding a small celebration in Atlantis to show appreciation to her.
All Covid-19 protocols will be followed.
– African News Agency (ANA); Editing by Yaron Blecher
