Even lockdown can’t split this sister act
MANY people have had to get used to being separated from close family members, especially the elderly after more than two weeks in lockdown to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
For sisters Eileen and Julia O’Connor, both residents of Bryn Haven care home in Brinnington, the challenging times we live in will just provide more reason to celebrate on National Sibling Day.
The close pair, aged 93 and 89 respectively, grew up in a family of nine children in Ireland, but have always had a special bond as siblings, and have been inseparable following their joint move to the UK in 1946.
Over their more than seven decades in the UK, Eileen and Julia both worked as housekeepers, and after their retirement in 1992 decided to buy their own home.
They lived there together until 2018, when health issues started to play a more challenging role in their lives. Eileen had cared for Julia through her dementia diagnosis, but was hospitalised after a fall at home, and Julia went to live at Bryn Haven so she could be looked after there.
Eileen could not bear to be parted from her sister so when she was discharged from hospital, she moved into the home too.
Since then, the sisters have especially enjoyed the live entertainment on offer at Bryn Haven, including singing and dancing.
The pair have long bonded over their shared love for ballroom dancing; Julia used to use her skills as a seamstress to make ballroom dresses for their regular outings on the dancefloor.
Dr Mark Ward, CEO at Borough Care, the Stockport care provider which runs Bryn Haven, says: “The incredible bond Eileen and Julia have enjoyed throughout their lives is amazing. It’s great that they can continue to enjoy each other’s company and remain just as close while living with us at Borough Care.”