Walsall great-grandmother celebrates 101st birthday milestone with friends and staff who have become family
Staff and residents helped one of the first residents to move in to a Walsall housing complex celebrate her 101st birthday and one they thought she might not see.
Mani Hari turned 101 on Wednesday and celebrations went on all day at Deighton Court, in The Delves.
Mani was in hospital two years ago at the age of 99 and her family credit the care and attention she received at the housing care unit for seeing her through.
Born in India in 1922, all of her nine children were born either in that country or Tanzania and she displayed some old pictures.
She only moved to the UK on the death of her husband in 1967 and moved into Deighton Court on its first day of opening in 2010.
The grandmother of 26 and great-grandmother of 25 with one on the way is visited regularly by members of her extended family and takes part in all activities organised for the residents.
Her granddaughter Nisha Mistri said: "The care and attention she received when she was in hospital two years ago was exceptional, the same as that from the staff and fellow residents before and after she came out.
"We didn't think she would make it to 100 at one point but thankfully she did and we are able to celebrate her 101st as well.
"It has become a real home for my gran, with her having lived there for 13 years – you could say she is part of the furniture but it is a great place to live where they really look after the residents and make them feel part of a family."
