Beryl’s 106th Birthday Becomes Global Viral Sensation

Social media isn’t just for the younger generations, just ask Aire View’s Beryl Turner who became a viral sensation on Facebook on her 106th birthday. As a birthday wish Beryl, who was born in the Edwardian era, asked for a modest 106 likes on Facebook, hoping that her message might even travel beyond these shores. 17.4 million people later, she had her answer.

She was supported in this by the staff at Aire View Care Home in Leeds, where she has been a resident since March last year. To the amazement of all, the post took on a life of its own placing Beryl alongside global celebrities as it accumulated 183,000 Likes, over 208,000 Shares and with 12,000 Comments from over 40 countries across the globe on all five continents! To put that in perspective, the views on her post are more than the population of Scotland, Ireland and Wales combined.

Beryl enjoyed her day with a special cake, champagne and a few glasses of sherry. She was delighted with her new-found fame and the good wishes of strangers from across the world. Here was proof perhaps of the respect in which the more ancient among us are rightly held, and for just a few days the world seemed a smaller place.