Brooklyn Council Member Mathieu Eugene on Thursday honored Jamaican constituent Jestina Harper with a Certificate of Recognition and a Congratulatory Letter on her 99th birthday shortly after she received her second COVID-19 vaccine shot at Brooklyn’s Medgar Evers College.
“I am truly honored to celebrate Ms. Jestina Harper’s 99th birthday with her this morning,” Dr. Eugene, who represents the 40th Council District in Brooklyn, told Caribbean Life afterwards. “This is a wonderful moment for Ms. Harper and her family, and a reminder of why it is important for all eligible New Yorkers to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, so that we can recover from this pandemic.
“The novel coronavirus and its variants remain a serious threat to public health, so it is encouraging to celebrate these milestone occasions where we acknowledge the perseverance of our most at-risk residents who are now protected from this disease,” he added.
According to Tangier Harper, Ms. Harper’s granddaughter, her grandmother migrated from Jamaica in the early 1970s and has lived in her current Flatbush apartment for over 45 years.
She said her grandmother spent most of her life as a caregiver and retired as a home health aide “well into her 80s, while continuing to be the matriarch of our family that currently consists of all five of her children, 29 grandchildren, 47 great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren.
“She remains an avid storyteller and still enjoys keeping busy,” said Tangier Harper. “She’s shy, but a fierce advocate for those she loves and what she cares about.”
Eugene said: “I want to commend and thank her for her many years of service in the healthcare field, and for being an incredible role model for the community.
“May God bless her and her family with continued health and happiness,” the council member added.
