3 BRONX WEEKLY August 9, 2020 www.BXTimes.com
BRONX G ARDENS R E H A B I L I TAT I O N & N U R S I N G C ENTER PROFI 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, single-handedly
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 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
top-notch 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 first-class 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-the-art
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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