Family safely celebrates grandma's 95th birthday during coronavirus outbreak
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Happy birthday, Grandma!
A New York woman recently celebrated her 95th birthday with her family at home – practicing safe social distancing amid the global coronavirus pandemic, of course.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}On March 18, Kathleen Byrne of Syracuse turned 95 and received a special visit from her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, with many other family members joining in via FaceTime.
The nonagenarian matriarch is dearly loved by her seven sons, 22 grandchildren and 29 great-grandchildren, Syracuse.com reports – though none of them could get too close during the festive fete.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Though Grandma Kathleen remains in good health, granddaughter Sara Byrne said, she is currently self-isolating during the COVID-19 outbreak as a preventative measure, according to Insider.
Because the Byrne family’s plans to celebrate their matriarch’s birthday at a local restaurant this weekend were dashed over coronavirus concerns, they came up with a sweet plan B.
On Tuesday, the kin gathered on her front lawn with balloons and letter signs spelling out “Happy Birthday” to sing a rousing rendition of the classic birthday tune – while cautiously remaining a few feet apart from one another to practice safe social distancing.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}From her front porch, Grandma Kathleen smiled and waved during the serenade, apparently thrilled with the heartfelt tribute.
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“I love it. I’m sorry we aren’t all together,” the birthday girl said, per Syracuse.com. “But you are all together.”
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Thoughtfully, Grandma Kathleen also shared a shoutout for one of her grandchildren, who has the same birthday and turned 17.
"It's definitely a different birthday, but it's one we'll obviously always remember," Sara told Insider.
As for the overnight hype, Grandma Kathleen’s internet stardom comes as no surprise to the Byrne crew.
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"We always said if we were to ever get famous it would be because of Grandma Byrne," she added.