TORONTO -- A family of 12 siblings have won the Guinness World Record for the highest combined age totaling 1042 years and 315 days.
Joyce Desouza, 91, and her siblings, which include nine sisters and three brothers, say the award is one of the greatest highlights of their lives.
“It feels really wonderful,” Desouza told CTVNews.ca. “We’re very proud of the fact that we’re still alive. That’s the greatest part.”
Desouza’s siblings range in age from 97 to 75 years old and were all born in Karachi, Pakistan. Over the years the family has spread out across Canada, the United States and Switzerland.
Though they do not live in the same place the family still tries to see each other at least three times a year on major holidays. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has put a halt to their usual family gatherings.
Desousa’s maiden name -- the one that she shares with the rest of her siblings -- is D’Cruz. The family is described as being very spiritual and united.
In an effort to connect with each other over the pandemic, the D’Cruz family says they have daily zoom chats where they pray the rosary.
According to Desouza’s son Errol, the process to qualify for the world record started about three months ago when a cousin in Baltimore, Maryland read about another family who was close to taking the title. That was until the D’Cruz family realized that their combined age was higher.
After submitting their identification, which included birth certificates and citizenship cards, the records management team was able to review and verify the documentation to grant the family the Guinness World Record for highest combined age.
The company is considered to be the primary international authority on the cataloguing and verification of world records.
