A pensioner's final wish was granted as she celebrated her 80th birthday with a raunchy cowboy show at her retirement home - dubbed the "country and western Magic Mike". Katie Ingram, 44, enlisted the help of Lexy Burke, 28, and her Ranch Hands Cowboylesque dance group to give her mum, Barbara, a wild 80th birthday.
Sadly, Barbara passed away in March 2022 but daughter Katie was happy she could see her mum have fun one final time. Lexy Burke, 28, director and creator of Ranch Hands Cowboylesque, sent her crew of hunky performers to the home after requested they give her mum Barbara a birthday number.
According to Lexy, the whole home lit up and the ladies couldn't get enough of the strapping dancers.
The troupe swapped their usual bar and nightclub setting for the care home and cleaned up their numbers for a more mature audience.
Care home residents with the Ranch Hands Cowboylesque dance group (Lexy Burke / SWNS)Katie from Miami, Florda US said: "My mum was full of spirit and up for a good time. She was a pianist and was really special, I was so glad to have her in my life.
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"I set the whole thing up because I knew it would be her last birthday. She was singing along to all the words, she knew all the songs."
Barbara developed dementia in 2017 when she was 75. When Katie and her family moved out of Florida, they brought Barbara and her sister, Molly, 43, who has down syndrome, with them to The Arbors at Willow Springs.
She said: "She was so happy there, she thrived there.
Everyone in the retirement home loved the surprise (Lexy Burke / SWNS)
The residents wants the performers to come back in the near future (Lexy Burke / SWNS)"My sister Molly was her roommate they had been together for 43 years and she calmed my mother's anxiety."
Molly remains in the facility as she loves it so much.
Lexy, from Nashville, Tennessee, US, said: "We had a guy reach out as it was his wife's mum's 80th birthday on Valentine's Day.
"He wanted to do something special for her as he didn't know if it would be her last birthday.
"We got the guys and some roses and little cards, and they performed a variety of numbers, but we cleaned it up a little bit."
The full cowboy posse is made up of 10 men but only four - George Blick, Alexander O'Neill, Frederico Tonet and Max Berry - gave the OAPs a performance.
According to Lexy, the show included a line dancing number and a seductive routine to She's in Love with the Boy by Trisha Yearwood.
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The men brought each of the lucky ladies a rose and a card.
The Arbors at Willow Springs is an assisted living centre for people, and they provide Alzheimer's, memory and dementia care.
Lexy added: "All the ladies were very chatty - they all wanted to talk to the guys in between.
"They were hilarious. A lot of them were talking about how they used to dance.
"One woman went into detail about how handsome her husband was and how one of the guys looked like her husband."
The cowboys are used to performing on a full stage so had to adapt their performance to the residential setting.
Lexy started Ranch Hands Cowboylesque in September 2021 as she was inspired to fill a gap in the market for a variety show.
Lexy said: "Our show is just for fun, life is crazy for everyone and it's bringing everyone joy in a comical way."
Katie added: "Molly wants them back for her birthday in June, she's already texted me.
"The women were so excited.
"I'm just grateful, it's surreal and now so many people have joined in and celebrated her last birthday with us."
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