A woman who has just celebrated her 112th birthday says the secret to a long life is not worrying and staying happy. Meire da Silva, known affectionately as Dona Dodo, was thrown a surprise party at her retirement home in Lar dos Velhinhos de Maringa, Brazil, on February 10.
Dona Dodo has lived in the retirement home for 27 years, where she's been a big help to other elderly folks living there, contributing to the home's general services.
Irene Malamim, an employee at the home, told local media: "Dodo is a reference in the house. I mean everyone likes her, she is pleasant and likes to take photos. Very smiling and participates in everything."
Meire's speech was impaired in childhood due to an accident and was unable to develop as well as others, according to psychologists. She also faced the loss of her parents coupled with a lack of literacy, which could have left her ground down.
But she never lost her ability to smile and be happy, which she now tells everybody is the secret of longevity, according to local media. Irene added: "She has no family. Then she came to Lar dos Velhinhos, a long-term care home. She worked here until she couldn't anymore and today she is looked after by everyone."
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She said: "Dodo is a very meticulous person. She has her utensils, she doesn't eat what she doesn't know. She has her own ritual. When she gets up and before eating she prays... She is very devoted to Saint Joseph."
Dona Dodo turned 112 last week (Newsflash)According to a survey carried out by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), Parana state currently has 1,299 inhabitants over 100 years of age, local media reports. It also added that the expectation of the Brazilian population is 72 years for men and 79 years for women.
The news comes shortly after the oldest person in the world, also from Brazil, celebrated his 123rd birthday. Andrelino Vieira da Silva was born on February 3, 1901, just 11 days after Queen Victoria died. He has seen two world wars, countless revolutions, regimes collapsing and rising, the space race, at least four pandemics, a new millennia, the rise of the internet and some.
But despite being well above a hundred years old, the pensioner has shown no sign of going anywhere. At 123, he might be the oldest person alive and claims to have documents to prove it.
Andrelino was born in Firminopolis, in the state of Goias, Brazil. He married and had seven kids - two of whom he’s already outlived - and has 13 grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.
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