A BROMSGROVE woman who almost died at the age of 94 and became the oldest person to undergo heart surgery has celebrated her 105th birthday.
Irene Lane had a new valve inserted through a small puncture in her leg during the TAVI keyhole procedure at Birmingham’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
Thanks to the hospital’s cardiology specialists, she was back home in seven days and yesterday toasted her latest milestone at Heathbrook House Care Home where she moved to after turning 100.
Picture by Marcus Mingins 5022015MMR3 copyright Bullivant Media
Irene was born in Birmingham and lived in Moseley before moving to Billesley where she remained for most of her life.
She married her husband Albert, known as Bert, and they were together until he passed away in 2008.
The pair had a son Robert and daughter Janet, and Irene now has six grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
Picture by Marcus Mingins. Copyright Bullivant Media.
Robert praised the ‘fantastic’ care Irene has received from the staff at Heathbrook House.
“Having the heart failure was very worrying but she’s made of hard stuff.
“She’s never smoked, hardly drank, has always appreciated life for what it was and loves her simple pleasures.”
To celebrate, Irene has been having visitors all week and received a card from King Charles III and Queen Consort.
