Toronto mother of 18 to celebrate 100th birthday
CTV
In a few days, Vincella Richards will celebrate a significant milestone – turning 100.
In a few days, Vincella Richards will celebrate a significant milestone – turning 100.
The 99-year-old mother of 18 says she feels “okay” as her Feb. 3 birthday approaches.
“I’m still in my right mind, I can still move around, I can still read and do whatever I can,” Richards said in an interview with CTV News Toronto.
She moved to Toronto in 1980 from Jamaica with her children, eight of which were under the age of 18 years old, after her husband passed away. Between the youngest and eldest, there IS a 31-year age gap.
While Richards hadn’t always wanted a big family – “But it happened, so what could I do?” – she says the key to parenthood is: “Take the best care of their children [… and to be there] to help them when they can’t help themselves,” she said, adding providing them with a good education is important too.
“Thank God I did take care of them, for now they are taking care of me.”
One of her daughters, Jacqueline Downswell, shared that her mother helped them go through school – even as they attended post-secondary education, from graduate to trade school – and ensured they never went to bed hungry despite not having a lot of money.
