Amy Hawkins was just 7 years old when World War I was ending, and her greatest passions were singing and dancing.
As she moved into her teens, she was set on her dream of performing and eventually landed a touring gig with a dance troupe. But her mom soon decided that, for a young lady like Amy, being onstage wasn’t a “proper” occupation.
Fast forward to 2021 and 110-year-old Amy Hawkins is finally seeing her dreams come true! It’s all thanks to Sacha, her Gen Z great-grandson, and the people of TikTok.
These days, Amy lives in Monmouth, South Wales, near her entire four-generation family. They all feel very fortunate to have been able to spend the whole COVID-19 lockdown together. It even became a special bonding experience for them, particularly for Amy and 14-year-old Sacha.
Hannah Freeman, Amy’s granddaughter and Sacha’s mom, confirmed that despite Amy’s decades-long professional gap, she has never stopped performing.
“She’s like a clock, once you wind her up, she won’t stop,” Hannah said. “She just keeps asking, ‘Would you like another one?'”
So Sacha decided to record Amy on her 110th birthday as she sang “It’s a Long Way to Tipperary,” a favorite WWI tune of hers. Just for fun, he decided to post the video on TikTok.
Much to their surprise, Amy was a big hit! Her joyous ditty gained over 100,000 views, launching her into viral stardom in a matter of days.
“Reading the comments, people have been in tears because they miss their family or about family they have lost,” Hannah said. “I think that has been a real lesson for Sacha, too, and has restored my faith in humanity in such a difficult time for everyone.”
Sacha went on to say that a highlight for him has been reading the comments about “how lovely [his] grandma is.”
Though her stardom took a bit longer than expected, it came at the perfect time. What makes Amy’s success even more valuable is that its worth rests not in glitz and glamour, but rather in the deep, beautiful memories it brings so many others!
“She is brilliant, so down-to-earth, and nothing phases her,” Hannah added. “Gran is the center of it all – we just pivot around her.”
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