Saturday, 19 February 2011 00:49
Nobody knows better than Cicilia Laurent that you're never too old to change. After all, at 115 years old, she is one of the oldest people in the world, and her latest change is becoming a permanent resident of Canada.Born in Haiti on January 31, 1896, she is the only one of 12 children still alive, however her six children seem to have inherited her longevity; Cicilia's firstborn daughter is 96 years old and going strong.
Cicilia's grandson Ronald Chery and his wife Marie Lorna Pierre, who live in Laval, visited Cicilia in December 2009, leaving Haiti six days before the earthquake struck.
In the wake of the disaster they thought she had died.
"We were wondering if everybody's okay, because we didn't have any news for like almost three days. We didn't know if she was okay, if the rest of the family was okay," said Pierre.
She turned out to be fine, if suddenly homeless, but her family in Canada worked together to bring her to a new home. In February 2010 Cicilia arrived in Canada and promptly moved into the home of her daughter Violette Jean.
"I have no house in Haiti, I have nothing so I came with nothing," she said.
In the past year she's learned to deal with snow and cold temperatures, but she is having the time of her life.
"I like Canada but I don't like the weather," laughed Cicilia.
A self-professed night owl, she likes to watch movies and stay up late, only rising at 10 a.m.
However it's plain she's no slacker. She and her great-granddaughter Jana Kate, 5, are inseparable.
"She likes to dance. She likes to talk a lot. We're having fun with her," said Pierre. -
Her secret to a long life? Eat well, work hard, and put your faith in god.
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