PIKE COUNTY, Ga. — Born on August 2, 1915, Helen Mangham shares the same birth year as Frank Sinatra and Billie Holiday. The 105-year-old has lived through two world wars and 17 presidents all in the same town she was born in.
The Pike County woman celebrated her most recent birthday surrounded by family, friends, and thousands of birthday cards.
Mangham's granddaughter, Pam Vickers, enlisted the help of thousands across the globe to celebrate her grandmother's milestone birthday.
“I decided that I would just reach out through social media and see how many birthday cards that I can get her from around the world," Vickers said.
The Facebook post took off and was shared hundreds of times, reaching people in Europe and Asia. Shortly after, thousands of cards started to arrive at Mangham's home. Her granddaughter organized the letters in boxes to surprise her grandmother with on her birthday.
“She saw all of those cards and just put her head in her hands. And I’ve never seen her react that way towards anything," adds Vickers.
Mangham even received an autographed photo from Vanna White and Pat Sajak from the Wheel of Fortune, which Vickers said is one of her grandmother's favorite shows.
Vickers said her grandmother's secret to a long life is good genes. Mangham's mother and grandmother both lived into their 90's.
The 105-year-old has three living sisters that are 104, 101, and 95-years-old. The siblings broke a world record in 2016 earning the spot as the oldest living siblings.
So far the birthday girl has received more than 13,000 cards and the number continues to grow.
