Germaine Desjardins turns 100 on March 10, and while her home is here in Sudbury, her heart is in Las Vegas – where she celebrated her 95th birthday with some 200 people.
Desjardins tested positive just five days ago which has her stuck within the confines of the Elizabeth Centre in Val Caron during her COVID-19 isolation. There is also currently an outbreak at the home she is staying in which made things difficult for her family members to plan a celebration.
The drastic difference from her birthday celebration that happened five years ago in Vegas to the circumstances now will make Dejardins’ expectations hard to meet, her niece and main caretaker Jeanine Foisy said.
“She asked me, ‘So how many people are going to be at your house now for my party?’ ” Foisy told Sudbury.com in a Zoom call. “So she thinks that we're having a party [at my house].”
Because there is an active COVID-19 outbreak at the Elizabeth Centre, Desjardins can’t leave to attend a party and can’t welcome guests to the long-term care centre to help her celebrate. Foisy said it is disappointing the family can’t celebrate as a big group, but they do plan on doing a drive-by party to honour Desjardins’ milestone birthday.
Five years ago before the pandemic, Desjardins’ 95th birthday was celebrated in style in Las Vegas. The family arranged to have the birthday girl lifted in a chair onto a stage by two young men in tuxedos who placed a tiara on her head and crowned her Miss Canada.
Desjardins’ daughter, Gertrude, has lived in Las Vegas for 53 years. She settled in Nevada after her amateur figure skating career ended and her professional skating career began. An only child, the mother-daughter duo traveled the world together as Gertrude competed in figure skating events, including a pairs showing at the World Figure Skating Championships in Prague in 1961 (a sixth-place finish) and Italy in 1962 where Gertrude finished fourth.
Even as Gertrude’s career switched from competitive figure skating to professional when she joined the Ice Capades, the mother-daughter duo continued traveling to various parts of the world for Gertrude’s career in ice skating.
“My mum and dad were so proud of me. I mean, I was an only child, right? I could do no wrong,” Gertrude joked. “But anyway. Mother got to travel with me. She got to come to Europe with me. And so that was really exciting for her.”
Desjardins’ itch for catching flights never stopped. Even at the age of 97 she was travelling to Vegas to visit her daughter. But after she had a stroke, it limited her travels and she has been with the Elizabeth Centre ever since.
Foisy as the main caretaker can still visit her aunt in Val Caron. And she is determined to make the celebration memorable despite the COVID circumstances.
Foisy wants to prep and primp the new centenarian for a drive-by parade which Desjardins can watch from the window of her room at the Elizabeth Centre. And although these celebrations are reminiscent of the early days of the pandemic, Foisy and Gertrude are looking forward to planning a bigger celebration once Germaine’s isolation is over.
“We want her to be happy and enjoy her day and look forward to getting better and being strong,” Foisy said.
