Rachelle Vandenbussche, of Brakel, Flanders, Belgium, the second-oldest person in Belgium, celebrated her 109th birthday on 19 January 2024

Happy Birthday!

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English Translation:

On Friday 19/01/2024 - tomorrow, the Najaarszon residential care center will celebrate the birthday of our resident Rachelle Vandenbussche, who will be 109 years old. This makes her the oldest woman in Flanders. Rachelle will be honored in the presence of her family, residents, staff, management and chairman of the Autumn Sun Association and mayor and aldermen of the Brakel local government. This is what a proud director Lies Witteman tells us.

Rachelle grew up in a family of five, she had two sisters and one brother. One of her sisters lived to be 99 years old.

Rachelle herself had two daughters, one of whom died. This was a heavy blow to Rachelle's life.

Rachelle has always been a busy person. She worked as a hairdresser and was very creative. She used to have a sewing studio. At the celebration Friday 19/01/2024 we will play the music that Rachelle used to put on in her sewing studio. She could sew very well, work with pearls and she did everything herself. She was always busy.

In 2017, Rachelle came to the Najaarszon residential care center in Brakel for the first time. She stayed there for a few months but then moved, at the age of 103, to an assisted living home at the Najaarszon residential care center because she was still physically and mentally fit and could live perfectly independently. However, in recent years, Rachelle's physical and mental strength slowly began to deteriorate. Until a year ago, she was able to stay in her assisted living home, with more and more support, but then she moved back to the residential care center. Rachelle still enjoys life. She loves music and on good days will even do some (sitting) dancing. Rachelle has always had a positive attitude. She knows very well what she wants and is quite stubborn. She is a real go-getter. Perhaps that is her recipe for reaching such a good age.