Mr. Lam Luc, a resident at ACC Care Center, turned 100 last month! Fellow residents and staff celebrated with cake, balloons, a giant birthday card, and sparkling cider. With a big smile on his face, Mr. Luc joined the chorus singing happy birthday.
Councilmember Rick Jennings visited ACC Care Center and presented Mr. Luc with a key to the city. “This key will open any door to the city!” Mr. Jennings proclaimed. Mr. Luc asked through his translator, “Really? How is that possible?” The room filled with laughter.
Born in Vietnam, Mr. Luc grew up on a family farm with six brothers and two sisters. The work was long and difficult, preventing Mr. Luc from getting a proper education.
As a young adult, Mr. Luc had to take on many jobs just to feed his family. They escaped from Vietnam to Southern China and then moved to a refugee camp in Hong Kong. From there, he immigrated to the U.S. He and his wife have lived in Sacramento for the past 40 years.
The rest of Mr. Luc’s family is large and spread out. He has 25 grandchildren. Seven of them live in China, 12 live in Vietnam, and six live in the U.S. But wait, there’s more. Mr. Luc has 12 great grandchildren. Six live in Vietnam and six live in the U.S.
At ACC Care Center, his favorite hobbies are mahjong and balloon volleyball.
Mr. Luc is hardly alone at his age. Today, there are more than 72,000 Americans aged 100 years and older. With the aging of baby boomers and advancements in senior care, that number will continue to grow. By 2050, men’s life expectancy will increase from 80 years to 83 to 86. Women’s life expectancy will increase from 84 years to 89 to 94 years.
When asked what is his secret to a long life, Mr. Luc answered, “Work hard, be honest, and do your best.”
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