Mary Parsons from Malvern in Worcestershire turns 100 years old on January 1, 2019, the same year that the British Airways also celebrates its centenary. One of the airline's ambassadors, Derek Tennant, surprised Mary at her ‘Friends of the Elderly’ care home in Davenham and revealed that he was taking her to Belfast to see her family.
Born just 51 days after World War I ended, Mary grew up in Monaghan, 70 miles south of Belfast, yet left when she was 18-years-old to move to England and become a nurse.
Given the VIP treatment by Derek and accompanied every step of the way by her carer, Ellie Bannister, Mary was met at the airport by her nephew Ciaran and his wife Noelle, and niece Margaret and her husband Anthony, before spending the weekend in Belfast.
Mary said: “It was a great adventure and beyond my wildest dreams. I had a truly wonderful time. British Airways treated me like royalty throughout the whole journey and then meeting my family after all this time was the icing on the cake! It was fantastic to see them all again – we shared wonderful memories together and it was like a trip down memory lane. I never thought I would get to do this aged 99 but it just shows that anything is possible!”
Carolina Martinoli, British Airways’ Director of Brand and Customer Experience, said: “From one 99-year-old to another, we are so pleased we could help Mary get back to Ireland to see her family ahead of her 100th birthday. It’s an incredibly exciting time for all of us at British Airways as we look ahead to our centenary and taking the airline into its next chapter.”
Ellen Bannister, Mary’s carer of six years, said: “It was absolutely amazing and I’m so glad that I could be a part of the adventure. It was really emotional watching Mary meet her family again. You could just tell by their expressions that they were delighted to see her, and they just couldn’t believe that she had flown over to meet them! They shared photos and exchanged memories, it was a beautiful day. British Airways were fantastic, and they made Mary feel incredibly special.”
