What is the key to a long and happy life? Helen Terry celebrated her 104th birthday on Wednesday in the Upper East Side neighborhood of New York, USA, surrounded by her friends and family. As one of the oldest New Yorkers, she explained that she had never led a healthy lifestyle, and among other things, she used to consume hot dogs , chicken fingers and lots of love.
“My secret to a long life is to love everyone. When I was younger, I used to go to churches, synagogues and even mosques to learn about the different religions. It doesn’t matter what your race or religion is, just love everyone for who they are,” Terry told New York Post”.
The 104-year-old is determined, despite her extreme age, to achieve everything she wants. “I eat when I’m hungry. No one tells me what to do,” she said. She makes sure to walk at least two kilometers a day.
Terry was born in 1918 in Ohio, right at the end of the First World War. She moved to New York when she was 16 and has since developed a career in entertainment. She would sing on the radio every Sunday and would participate in recordings for commercials. “My grandmother is an amazing woman. She lived a wonderful life and met so many people,” Abigail Libby, Terry’s granddaughter, told the New York Post.
Terry and her family (photo: use according to section 27a)The grandmother went through the Spanish flu epidemic that started somewhere in 1918 and ended in 1920 and contracted the corona virus when she was 102 years old, in 2020. But nothing could stop her from consuming her favorite foods: hot dogs and chicken fingers. Marilyn Terry, the longtime New York resident’s daughter-in-law, called her the “Energizer Bunny.” “Grandma has amazing endurance. She has always been active and she does it on her own initiative, without anyone having to force her to get up from the couch. She has a circle of friends and is updated on all the news of the day,” she said.
Once a week, Susan Duffy, a home care nurse, arrives at Terry’s house. She said: “Helenie is an excellent testimony to the power of positive aging, it’s enough just to look at her to understand how important it is to maintain our independence as we age.” And hot dogs, lots of hot dogs.