Video of family celebrating woman’s 85th birthday outside window goes viral
Helen Lambing says “it was really something beautiful” when she was coaxed to look out the window of her locked-down seniors residence on Sunday, her 85h birthday.
She was overjoyed to see her family, jumping up and down, waving Happy Birthday signs and shout/singing Happy Birthday on the sidewalk across the street from the Shoreview at Riverside. It was such a love-affirming moment in the midst of COVID -19 constraints that a video capturing her delighted surprise has gone viral, with more than 285,000 views.
“My quiet mom, she doesn’t grasp it,” Teresa Keys, one of Helen’s four daughters, said Friday. “We said: ‘Mom, you’re a superstar.’ ”
Keys explained that the family was planning a surprise for Helen for her 85th, booking the private dining room at the Shoreview for the entire family, including Helen’s son John Lambing who would be driving down from Toronto. But then came the prohibition on visitors to protect residents from COVID-19. The party was off.
While Helen didn’t know about the party in the first place, her family learned from staff she was feeling very sad about not seeing any family on her birthday. Keys said she woke up that morning struck with an idea — they could gather outside her window and sing her Happy Birthday.
Keys broached the idea with her friend Fallon Chadwick, Shoreview’s sales and transitional co-ordinator. Chadwick arranged to work that day so she could co-ordinate things and shoot video. At 2 p.m., she made sure the family was ready and she went upstairs to Helen’s room.
“I couldn’t tell Helen anything because it was a big surprise. She was sitting in her room and I said, ‘Helen, I need you to come to the window please.’ ”
Though somewhat confused, Helen complied. She looked out the window and said: “Oh look, that’s my kids.”
On Friday, Helen, described as quiet and shy by her daughter, said she really enjoyed seeing everyone outside her window. They were making a racket with noisemakers, waving banners and showing off a cardboard cake they made for the occasion.
“I wasn’t expecting anybody, that’s for sure,” said Helen, whose husband Don died in 2011. “It was just something else. They were down there waving away.”
The celebration was quick but well worth the effort, said her daughter.
“It’s heartbreaking when you have your mom in there, her 85th birthday and she can’t see any of us,” said Keys.
She credited the “wonderful, wonderful” staff with helping make the celebration a reality.
In addition to Keys, family members attending included her sisters Annette Isaac, Joanne Lambing, Rose Low, some of their spouses and grandchildren.
The video was posted on Shoreview’s Facebook page. It’s been shared more than 2,500 times, liked more than 2,600 times and received more than 438 comments. Chadwick figures the heartfelt video provided comfort to people coping with the stark threat of COVID-19.
“It created a lot of attention,” she said.
“I never would have thought it would have gone like this.”