Maria Branyas Morera is the oldest person in the world and she turned 117 years old this Monday. The woman, known as "Super Àvia Catalana" (translated in English as "Super Catalonian Grandmother"), was born on March 4, 1907 in San Francisco.
However, her stay in the United States was short-lived. When she turned eight, her family decided to move to Catalonia, Spain, where she still lives. She is very active on X. She runs her social media account with the help of her 80-year-old daughter. She posted a message thanking all the people who wished her a happy birthday.
Thank you very much for your well wishes. My heartfelt thanks to all the people who expressed their affection, respect and kind words to me yesterday. Just with a smile that you show me every time, I'm already filled with joy and see the bigger world.' (Joana Raspall).
Moltes gràcies per les felicitacions. El meu agraïment, de cor, a totes les persones que ahir em vareu manifestar el vostre afecte, respecte i boniques paraules.
“Només amb un somriure que em facis tot passant, ja m’omplo d’alegria i veig el món més gran” (Joana Raspall) pic.twitter.com/upzeZhyeCi— Super Àvia Catalana (@MariaBranyas112) March 5, 2024
Maria Branyas Morera has held the title of oldest person in the world since January 2023. That was when Lucile Randon, 118 years old, died in France, passing the baton to the "Super Ávia Catalana" who, currently, lives in the Santa María del Tura nursing home. This Monday they celebrated her birthday. Eva Carrera Boix, director of the nursing home told Guinness World Records:
She is very grateful for all the well wishes she received and for the interest that so many people have shown in her state of health. She is happy to be able to celebrate this special day privately with her family and friends and wishes everyone a happy Monday.
The California-born record holder is in excellent health. She has some mobility problems and is deaf. She lost hearing in one ear when she was very young, in 1915. It was then when, while playing with her brothers on a trip from America to Spain, she fell and as a result of the accident became deaf.
Research on the longevity of Maria Branyas Morera
Otherwise, Maria Branyas remains in excellent health. This prompted scientists like Manel Esteller to start taking saliva, blood and urine samples to try to discover the secret of her longevity. Esteller told the Spanish newspaper ABC:
Her mind is completely lucid. She remembers with impressive clarity events from when she was only four years old, and she does not have any cardiovascular disease, which is common in the elderly. It is clear that there is a genetic component because there are several members of her family who are over 90 years old.
She claims that her longevity is attributed to "order, tranquility, good connection with family and friends, contact with nature, emotional stability, no worries, no regrets, lots of positivity and staying away from toxic people."
