The world's oldest person, Maria Branyas Morera, a Spanish woman, who was born in the United States, recently celebrated her 117th birthday. The woman was awarded the title last year after the death of 118-year-old Lucile Randon of France, according to Guinness World Records (GWR).
She was born in San Francisco, California, on March 4, 1907, one year after her parents immigrated to the US. They made the decision to move to Catalonia when they returned to Spain eight years later. For the last 22 years, Mrs Morera has been residing in ResidEncia Santa Maria del Tura, a nursing home in the region.
Ms Morera fought off Covid-19 in 2020 after surviving both World Wars, the Spanish Civil War, and the Spanish Flu pandemic. She caught the virus just a few weeks after celebrating her 113th birthday but she quickly recovered, as per the GWR website.
Guinness World Records took to Instagram to dedicate a post to Ms Morera on her birthday. They said, "Happy birthday to Maria Branyas Morera who celebrates her 117th birthday today. She was verified as the world's oldest person back in January 2023. Maria was born on 4 March 1907 in San Francisco, USA, but returned to Spain with her family when she was eight to settle in Catalonia. She's lived in the region ever since and has resided in the same nursing home for the past 23 years."
The woman is active on X and frequently posts updates on the platform. Her bio says, "I'm old, very old, but not an idiot." Ms Morera said that the secret to her longevity is not only luck and good genetics" but also "order, tranquillity, good connection with family and friends, contact with nature, emotional stability, no worries, no regrets, lots of positivity, and staying away from toxic people."
She married a Catalan physician Joan Moret in 1931. She told GWR that her wedding day was very eventful. After "hours of waiting for the priest," the couple learned that he had tragically passed away. The couple lived together for four decades until her husband died aged 72. Presently, she has three children, 11 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.
Scientist Manel Esteller, who spoke to her at length said, "She has a completely lucid head. She remembers with impressive clarity events from when she was only four years old, and she does not present any cardiovascular disease, common in elderly people. "It is clear that there is a genetic component because there are several members of her family who are over 90 years old." Further, urine, saliva, and blood samples from Ms Morera will be matched to those from her 80-year-old daughter. The analysis of her DNA, according to the experts, may contribute to the creation of medications that might fight age-related illnesses.
