The response was overwhelming, with the tweet receiving over 423,000 likes. One user, Adam Hill, shared a photo of his young daughter and expressed his wish for her to live as long as Gerald. He wrote, “Happy Birthday Gerald. This is my daughter Flora who was born 12 weeks premature and has just come home to us at three months old. Hope she makes it to 104 too.”
Other people also shared pictures of their elderly relatives while extending their birthday wishes. Joanna shared an image of her 101-year-old grandmother and congratulated Gerald. She wrote, “Happy birthday Gerald! My nan, Bridget, shares a birthday with your dad and she’ll be 101 this year! Hats off and many, many happy returns to these two very special centenarians and all the others on here!” Another person shared a photo of their baby granddaughter and raised a toast to Gerald, as their birthdays coincided on July 12th. They humorously mentioned that their granddaughter believed being extra cute was the secret to long life.
Even celebrities joined in on the celebration. Mark Hamill, known for his role as Luke Skywalker in “Star Wars,” tweeted “For Gerald” along with a cake emoji. Not to be outdone, English actor and comedian Stephen Fry also chimed in with a simple “Happy birthday Gerald! xx” message. The love and support overflowed.
This heartwarming tweet soon became a campaign of happiness, and it even caught the attention of the radio. 94.5 KHI in Ocean City, MD, sent their well wishes to Gerald on his special day. They tweeted, “Happy Birthday Gerald from 94.5 KHI in Ocean City, MD,” and shared a video of the host talking about the viral birthday wish on the radio.
Sharon Steed shared a touching photo of her late father sitting on the sofa next to an adorable dog. She wished Gerald a happy birthday and shared that her dad had reached the age of 86. She added, “He probably would have talked your ear off and eaten all the cake with you today!”
What started as a simple request turned into a beautiful display of love and kindness. Gerald’s 104th birthday became a celebration shared by people from all walks of life.
