Fredie Blom, who is known as the unofficial world’s oldest man, just celebrated his 116th birthday and shared his biggest concern amid the COVID-19 lockdown.
As the centenarian, who was born in Adelaide, Eastern Cape, South Africa, in 1904, insisted, the country’s ban on cigarette sales during the lockdown is the hardest thing to cope with.
Needless to say, Mr. Blom only had one wish – more cigarettes – when it came to birthday gifts on his 116th birthday.
As it is believed, Mr. Blom was born in 1904, something that yet needs to be confirmed by the Guinness World Records in order for the grandfather to be officially recognized as the oldest man in the world.
In 1918, when Fredie was 14 years old, his sister allegedly succumbed to the Spanish Flu whereas he recalled being forced to sleep on a haystack outside his home in order to reduce his chances of contracting the killer disease.
Throughout his life, Blom spent decades working on farms around the capital. Eventually, he also met the love of his life, now-86-year-old Jeanette, whom he’s been married to for nearly 50 years.
As the wife revealed, her stubborn husband stopped going to the doctor years ago because he was tired of examinations and all the prodding they come with.
“Now he just takes two Disprins a day, but sometimes he steals my pills,” Jeanette explained.
As for the man’s 116th birthday party, he was greeted by his close family members and neighbors in a drive-by celebration while sitting in the yard in front of his house.
Crediting God for his outstanding age, Blom suggested it’s up to “the boss upstairs” to decide when it’s time for him to go.
“It’s the boss upstairs who decided that my time isn’t up yet. I smoke my tobacco. I don’t go to the doctor. All I drink is an Eno and a Disprin tablet every day. And I am fine,” the 116-year-old said.
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Replaced!