The adorable Gladys Hermiston-Hooper, the ‘oldest living person in Britain’, can now take the honour of also being the ‘oldest living person in Britain’ to have surgery.
Born on 18th January 1903, Gladys will be an incredible 113 years old in January next year.
“An amazing lady”
Described by the consultant orthopaedic surgeon at St Mary’s, Jason Millington, as “an amazing lady”, Gladys underwent a hip operation last Friday after fracturing her hip in a fall.
Mr Millington told the Daily Mirror,
“I have had correspondence since the surgery to suggest that not only is Mrs Hooper the oldest patient in the UK to have had hip fracture surgery, but possibly the oldest documented case worldwide.
“However, nothing I or my team have done has been significantly different to what we do for any patient with this injury. The only thing that makes this interesting and unique is Mrs Hooper.
“The focus should be on this amazing lady and we should all be willing her to make a full and uneventful recovery.”
He went on to add,
“No surgical procedure comes without risk attached. But not operating would entail an extended period of bed rest with great discomfort for the patient and a likely gradual decline in health with poor prospects for survival, especially so in the more elderly age group.
“Mrs Hooper’s recovery has been slow but steady, as well as I could have hoped for, but by no means is she out of the woods and we have to wait and see how she continues to recover. The first month will be the most crucial.”
Supercentenarian
Gladys Hooper, a Supercentenarian, has led an incredible life.
Hailing from Dulwich in London, she has been a concert pianist and aviator. Gladys went on to found Brighton College, and through her passion for flying, rubbed shoulders with many great aeronautical names of the 1920s.
OnTheWight sends their very best wishes to Gladys for a speedy recovery.
Image: © Andrew Holmes
