The family of a woman allegedly born in 1909 and now 116 years old are seeking to have her recognised as the world’s oldest living woman.
Joana do Espírito Santo was born on 2nd February 1909 in Capela, in the Brazilian state of Alagoas, and now lives in Rio Largo where she is cared for by her family, local media reported on 22nd September.
Her Rural Workers’ Union registration and ID card both list her date of birth as 1909, placing her at the same age as British woman Ethel Caterham, who Guinness World Records and the international body LongeviQuest confirmed turned 116 in August.
If verified, Joana would in fact be several months older.
Her family said the original birth certificate was lost during flooding in 2010 that destroyed the registry office where it had been held.
Attempts by the local authorities to recover the records were unsuccessful.
The absence of the original document has prevented formal recognition of her claim, but her family continues to pursue it.
Despite her age, she has stable health and is visited weekly by a municipal medical team that delivers medication and supplies.
She has 21 children, of whom four are still living, and a family that now includes around 50 grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
She often sings at night, wakes late, and still recalls meetings in her youth with Brazilian cultural figures such as musician Luiz Gonzaga and bandit leader Lampiao.
Joana has lived through two world wars, the arrival of television, the space race and the redemocratisation of Brazil, and remains at the centre of a large extended family.
To find out more about the author, editor or agency that supplied this story – please click below. Story By: Michael Leidig, Sub-Editor: Simona Kitanovska, Agency: Newsflash
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