BRONX G ARDENS R EHABI L I TAT ION & NURS ING C ENT E R PROF I LE Party Of The Century
Covid-19 survivor celebrates 104th birthday with festive bash at
Bronx Gardens Rehabilitation & Nursing Center
Emma Davis, a longtime
resident at the Bronx Gardens
Rehabilitation & Nursing
Center, is certainly not
your ordinary centenarian.
Born on July 30th in 1916
-- two years after the start of
World War I -- she was raised
in Greenville, South Carolina,
and outlived her eight
brothers. Emma married a
decorated World War II veteran,
James Davis, singlehandedly
raised a niece from
infanthood, and proudly retains
the title of Great-Great
Aunt.
On Thursday, July 30th,
Emma Davis added two more
milestones to an already impressive
list of lifetime accomplishments:
Being one
of the oldest living New York
State residents to recover
from COVID-19 and celebrating
her 104th birthday.
“Emma is an integral part
of our Bronx Gardens family,”
says Facility Administrator
Abdul Abubakar. “She
began attending our adult
daycare program a few years
back, and eventually chose to
join the Bronx Gardens Rehabilitation
& Nursing Center
as a full-time resident. So it
was only natural for all of us
here to host a birthday party
for Emma and mark this special
occasion.”
Featuring a festive Hawaiian
themed backdrop, partygoers
dined on a celebratory
menu consisting of Emma’s
most favorite food dishes: filet
mignon; roasted mashed
potatoes; grilled asparagus;
and vanilla ice cream.
As an undisputable party
highlight, the 104-year-old
centenarian was helped out of
her balloon-festooned wheelchair
and wowed attendees
with a toe-tapping variety of
graceful dance steps. Many
of Emma’s family members
and friends participated virtually,
clapping and singing
along with Emma, as she
stole the show.
This was clearly not Emma’s
first foray into the longevity
spotlight. Bronx Borough
President Ruben Diaz
publically presented Emma
Davis with the exclusive Citation
of Merit Award when
she turned 100; she was also
the recipient of a New York
City Council Citation Award
in 2018.
Does Emma have a special
secret to achieving longevity
or good health? When
asked this question, Emma
simply smiles.
“I just try to enjoy the
little things in life,” she explains.
“Truly, I am blessed
to be alive and very grateful
to be here. Since I don’t know
what’s waiting on the other
side, I’m very happy to be on
this side, and I aim to make
the most of it. This party at
Bronx Gardens is just another
way for me to do that.”
The family members of
Emma Davis wholeheartedly
agree with those sentiments.
Her niece, Ethel Milton,
credits the devoted doctors
BRONX TIMES R 14 EPORTER, AUGUST 7-13, 2020 BTR
and nurses at Bronx Gardens
Rehabilitation & Nursing
Center for helping their aunt
maintain such a cheerful
outlook and remain in good
health.
“They take very good care
of Nana, as we call her, and
the nurses here are almost
like family,” she says. “Even
with the turbulence we’ve
been experiencing over the
past few months, I can always
call or text the nursing team
to get an immediate update. I
am pleased knowing that my
Nana in the best of hands.”
According to Igor Kiprovski,
the Chief Administrative
Officer of Citadel
Care Centers -- an affiliate
company of Bronx Gardens
Rehabilitation & Nursing
Center -- this extraordinary
atmosphere of care is upheld
through the continuous dedication
of the facility’s topnotch
staff.
“I must extend a special
thank you to our brave teams
for going above and beyond
during these times,” he says.
“The dedicated staff, devoted
doctors, and compassionate
nurses here are truly heroes.
The amazing level of care
provided to each and every
patient inspires us all, and
your hard work will always
be remembered.”
Mr. Kiprovski notes
how the unique milestone
achieved by Emma Davis
also pays tribute to over one
dozen centenarians currently
living in other Citadel
Care Center facilities who
beat COVID-19.
“Our senior residents
have weathered some of history’s
most challenging trials
and tribulations,” he
adds. “From global wars to
universal pandemics, they’ve
demonstrated how it’s possible
to overcome challenges
and move forward. It is our
responsibly to show how we
respect what they have all
done to make the world a better,
happier, and more hopeful
place.”
The Bronx Gardens Rehabilitation
& Nursing Center
is a premium Citadel
Care Center Facility located
in Bronx, New York. In addition
to serving as a firstclass
nursing and rehabilitation
center, Bronx Gardens
maintains a certified vent
unit and a certified HIV/Aids
Program. Featuring Short
& Long Term Care, Physical,
Occupational &Speech
Therapy, Cardiac Program,
Stroke Program, and Specialty
Care programs overseen
by top Yale University
physicians, Bronx Gardens
Rehabilitation & Nursing
Center offers customized recovery
programs designed
for the needs of each patient.
Learn more by visiting www.
bronxgardens.com.
Citadel Care Centers -- an
affiliate company of Bronx
Gardens Rehabilitation &
Nursing Center -- is also affiliated
additional healthcare
facilities in the Bronx:
The Plaza Nursing and Rehabilitation
Center; Hudson
Pointe at Riverdale Center
for Nursing and Rehabilitation;
and The Citadel Rehabilitation
& Nursing Center
at Kingsbridge. All of Citadel
Care Centers maintain
world-class facilities are
equipped with state-of-theart
gyms featuring the latest
advances in therapy apparatus,
and are staffed by
skilled therapists trained
in cutting-edge techniques
to safely accelerate patient
recovery times. Learn more
by visiting www.citadelcarecenters.
com.
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