TRENTON, Mich. – Last year, a family had to find a way to safely celebrate a grandmother’s 99th birthday during the coronavirus outbreak. READ: Family finds way to safely celebrate grandmother’s 99th birthday despite coronavirus outbreakThey sang to her from the front yard, safely social distanced. So they took their 2020 birthday plans and expanded them for 2021. The family asked the community to send her birthday cards and she has received more than 80. RELATED: Family plans COVID-safe 100th birthday for Trenton grandmother, asks community to send cards

TRENTON, Mich. – Last year, a family had to find a way to safely celebrate a grandmother’s 99th birthday despite the coronavirus outbreak. READ: Family finds way to safely celebrate grandmother’s 99th birthday despite coronavirus outbreakLast March, Mary Mikola’s family put on the best 99th birthday celebration they could. We hold the side of this board up and write what we’re trying to say to her through the window,” Mikola’s granddaughter Terrie Derupa said. Those are the reasons why Mikola’s family plans to celebrate her 100th birthday on March 20 in a big way -- while still being as safe as possible. If you want to send a card to Mary Mikola for her 100th birthday you can send it to the following address:

There should have been a big party with hugs and kisses to celebrate Mary Mikola’s near-century on this earth. “Since we can’t be with her, we made signs and we are going to the lawn outside her assisted living center and we are going to sing her Happy Birthday,” Derupa said. “All of her great grandchildren are here and two of her grandchildren and all of their spouses are here,” Mary’s great granddaughter, Brittany said. Inside, the aides at the Cunningham Trenton Senior Assisted Living center guided Mary to the big picture window out front. As the family started to sing Happy Birthday, you could see the emotion on both sides of the glass.

Family finds way to safely celebrate grandmother’s 99th birthday despite coronavirus outbreakPublished: March 20, 2020, 6:23 pmThis was not how it was supposed to go. There should have been a big party with hugs and kisses to celebrate Mary Mikola’s near-century on this earth.