Twin sisters defy one-in-700 million odds to celebrate 99th birthday together

10 February 2023 , 12:35

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Twins Era Luckie Daniell and Vera Rozier have celebrated their 99th birthday (Image: WJHG/WECP)

Twin sisters have celebrated an ultra-rare milestone birthday together, defining near-impossible odds in the process. Sisters Era Luckie Daniell and Vera Rozier, from Florida, America, celebrated their 99th birthdays on Wednesday surrounded by members of their community.

The Warden of the Gulf Correctional Institution teamed up with the Gulf County Senior Citizens Centre to throw them a party like no other. Era told WJHG-TV: "I feel grateful to my Lord that I’ve been able to make it this far with so little handicaps." Vera added: "I’m feeling the same as I did when I was younger, except I don’t have the energy that I had."

The Guinness World Records announced Umeno Sumiyama and Koume Kodama to be the oldest identical twins ever at age 107 (Guinness World Records)

Their children showed their gratitude toward their mothers, with Era's daughter, Vita Luckie, praising her for bringing up three children after becoming a widow, and Vera's daughter, Linda Rozier Davis celebrating her for being the "best mother I could've had".

Executive director of Gulf County Senior Citizens Centre, Eddie Fields also said a few words to commemorate Era and Vera's special day.

He said: "The celebration is to show love. We want to show love. Like I said, they're 99-years-old. They’re in the later parts of their life. Hopefully, the rest of us will make it to the latter part of our lives."

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According to the Guinness World Records 2002, the chance of identical twins both reaching and surpassing the age of 100 is about one-in-700 million.

They announced identical twins Umeno Sumiyama and Koume Kodama to be the "oldest ever" recorded, after reaching aged 107 and 300 days, as verified in Oita, Japan, on 1 September 2021.

A Guinness World Records statement reads: "Umeno and Koume were born on 5th November 1913 on Shodo Island, Kagawa prefecture, Japan, into a large family of 13.

"According to their family members, the twins are both sociable and positive and hardly worry about things. Apparently, Umeno is more strong-willed, while Koume is more gentle."

Paige Freshwater