THERE are many ways to see in an 80th birthday but few do it better than Rosewood’s Betty Claydon.
Betty loves classic cars … and Elvis Presley.
The ‘King of Rock and Roll’ harks back to her heyday and a time when convertibles were not vintage but part of every day.
As her big ‘eight oh’ neared, Betty’s family decided she needed something spectacular to help celebrate.
“My granddaughter Kayla asked what I wanted to do on my birthday,” she said.
“When I turned 40, I had a ride on a Harley down the main street of Rosewood and back home again.
“I wasn’t sure what I wanted for my 80th until I saw Tim [Bennett] in his green convertible down by the coffee shop.”
She asked if he’d give her a ride on her birthday and he agreed right away.
“My kids and grandkids think I’m the crazy grandma,” she laughed.
“The thing is, I’ve had a trying time and wanted my birthday to be a real celebration of life.”
That ‘trying time’ is cancer and other serious health issues.
Betty was diagnosed as having lymphoma down both sides of her body.
It was cancer and she was determined to beat the odds.
She’s been in remission going on four years and during this time had surgery for a gall bladder issue.
“I went in for an operation and woke up in the back of an ambulance being taken to the PA [Hospital],” she said.
“I was told a mistake had been made during the surgery.
“After being operated on again, the doctor said I’d made history.
“I was the first person in Australia to have the operation done by a robot.”
Side effects of chemotherapy were hair loss and that devastated Betty at the time.
Reaching 80 is a big deal and celebrating it in true ‘Betty style’ was non-negotiable.
“I wore my pink glasses, scarf and sparkly shoes,” she said, adding, “my nails were pink too!”
Her family hosted the party at Ipswich Jets Leagues Club, it was a celebration of eight decades of Betty.
From riding in a convertible on the Friday to Saturday’s big birthday bash, the octogenarian enjoyed a well-deserved weekend filled with celebratory fun.
