Let's applaud a remarkable woman who recently marked her 108th birthday. Ada Daniel, a resident of Codnor Park Care Home in Derbyshire, shared her secret to a long life during the joyous celebration.

The event was made even more special with the arrival of over 300 cards from well-wishers, including a heartfelt message from the King and Queen. Ada's journey spans more than a century, allowing her to witness some of the most significant moments in history.

Ada Daniel, hailing from England, has revealed her secret to a longer life: choosing pets over having children. As per her caretaker, Kelly Goucher, Ada has never had kids and has consistently favored the company of dogs over humans. In a recent interview with South West News Service, Goucher shared this interesting insight into Ada's life.

"I think that's the same for a lot of people," Goucher shared. "She doesn't really got a lot of family."

"She never had any children so she doesn't have any grandchildren so we just wanted to get her as many cards as possible."

"She quite likes the fact that people know about her because of her age."

According to Kelly, Ada didn't have any biological children, but she embraced the role of a loving mother to several furry companions.

"She had a lot of greyhounds," she said.

"She's definitely a character. I did ask her what her secret was once and she said it was to have dogs, not kids," Kelly added.

Throughout her long and eventful life, it is Ada's dogs that have remained a consistent source of motivation for her.

Ada Daniel, considered the 65th oldest person in the United Kingdom, credits her long life to the principle of staying active and engaged.

Born on June 1, 1915, during the challenging times of World War I, Ada has witnessed and faced the leadership of 23 prime ministers, the reign of five monarchs, and has courageously endured several wars and two pandemics.

Back in 1944, when Ada Daniel was 27 years old, she married her husband Perry. After Perry's passing at the age of 73, Ada continued living in their cozy cottage home until she made the move to Codnor Park Care Home just five years ago.

Even amidst the challenges of the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown, Ada found joy in celebrating her 105th birthday, receiving an outpouring of love and birthday cards from her dedicated admirers.

To make this year's milestone even more remarkable, Kelly Goucher, Ada's caretaker, went the extra mile. Goucher took to Facebook with a heartfelt plea, asking well-wishers to send 108 cards to commemorate Ada's special day.

Reflecting on this heartwarming gesture, Goucher remarked: "She's literally been on about her birthday since April and she's been on countdown to the big day."

"We didn't tell her we had made the appeal and the amount of messages we got was just through the roof," Goucher said.

Ada Daniel not only received the expected 108 cards but also received an incredible 200 additional cards, which touched her heart and left her feeling incredibly grateful for the overwhelming display of love and support.

To mark this momentous occasion, Kelly Goucher and the caring staff at the residential home arranged a festive birthday celebration for Ada. The venue was beautifully decorated with colorful balloons, set up for a delightful afternoon tea, and adorned with cheerful banners featuring Ada's picture.

"We've also had a lot of donations - so people have given us banners with her picture on and balloons with her name on."