The LongeviQuest team paid a visit to Sra. María Branyas Morera on the day before her 116th birthday, on 3 March 2023. We met with her and her family at the town of Olot in the autonomous community of Catalonia.

The CEO and director of LongeviQuest; Mr. Ben Meyers, the commissioner and director of America; Mr. Fabrizio Villatoro, and the main researcher for Spain; Mr. Eduardo Garcia, visited Mrs. Branyas Morera on behalf of the organization.

Branyas Morera’s relatives were very kind, cooperative and very enthusiastic and happy to receive us very early in the morning at the nursing home in Olot, Girona, where Maria lives. During the visit, LongeviQuest congratulated her and gave her some gifts for her very good-long life and her interesting feat of reaching the age of 116, a cake of delicious red fruits, the printing of birthday wishes, drawings and letters that the fans and researchers worldwide who appreciate her, Maria thanked and was happy to read the birthday cards, thank you very much to those who participated. Maria Branyas also enjoyed the official LongeviQuest trophy recognizing her as the “world’s oldest living person”.

Branyas Morera’s state of health was very good during the visit. Although her hearing was a bit weak, she keeps up with her own lucidity, Maria Branyas always cared very much about the young people and the elderly, she has always been expressing love to her family and those around her, and which, many people are witnesses.

Maria retains lucidity, she’s very active from early in the morning, and can stand up a bit. Mr. Villatoro spoke in front of her and told her: “I came from Mexico to Spain just to meet you”, she was smiling and looking him directly at the eyes, then quickly replied: “Mexico was a beautiful and nice place to me, I was on a boat there when I was a girl, thank you very much for visiting me”. Maria, very calm, but aware, attentive and very affectionate, told us about her youth, she loved meeting us and was surprised because LongeviQuest team went to Olot, Catalonia, Spain just to meet her. Her 78-year-old daughter, Rosa, watches over her health and well-being, and she received us along with her husband at her residence.

Mr. Garcia is our LQ-Spain researcher with over 10 years of experience in the field and who has tracked over 500 centenarians in Spain. According Mr. Garcia: “Her longevity is exceptional, celebrating 116 years-old is a hard age to reach, but being aware, talkative, able to stand up a bit and remembering many things from her youth is something even more special among those who reach over age 115 in the world”.

It was a pleasant visit for the LongeviQuest team, and this is why, the LongeviQuest team deeply thanks the family for giving us the permission, privilege and honor to visit her. We also appreciate and thank our dear photographer Thomas Williams for the beautiful photos.

Here are some pictures of the celebration.

Click on each photo to enlarge.