Ivy Reeves isn’t celebrating her 100th birthday quite as she’d planned, but nursing staff at Wycombe Hospital have been determined to give her the best day possible - regardless of the coronavirus outbreak.

Ivy went into hospital for treatment and testing on April 12, after experiencing a seizure.

A few days later she was diagnosed with coronavirus - and she has been at Wycombe Hospital since.

Thankfully, her symptoms seem to have been improving in recent days as her 100th birthday approached on May 1.

Before the coronavirus and lockdown hit the country, Ivy’s family had planned a party at a tearoom, with friends, neighbours and family.

Alan Reeves, Ivy’s son, had not been expecting to see his mum on her birthday but he was given special permission to visit her in hospital.

Wearing PPE, he helped her open cards, enjoy some cake and delivered Ivy’s message from the Queen.

He said: “It was magical to be able to do that, I’m very grateful.

"The nurses have been spending time with her and they all sung happy birthday – she would have been celebrating her birthday with her family but now she’ll be with people who have become her friends.

“The nurses have been fantastic, just brilliant – they’ve given us good information, they’ve let us call to speak to her on the phone whenever we want. We really couldn’t ask for more.”

Karen Bonner, Chief Nurse at Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust, said: “We understand how hard it is when loved ones have to be kept isolated. I’m really proud of our nurses who are trying to make the day special for Ivy, and who are helping her family stay in contact with her.

“We all hope she is able to have her planned celebration with her family and friends as soon as it is safe to do so.”

Ivy was born a century ago in Hanwell, London, the younger of two sisters.

She won a free scholarship to grammar school before starting work at 16.

She married Don, a policeman, during the Second World War and lived in London through the blitz.

The couple had three children - one girl and two boys. And today Ivy’s family spans five generations, having grown to include seven grandchildren, seven great grandchildren and four great, great grandchildren.

Ivy worked in various different jobs around Don’s duties as a policeman as she raised her family.

For a time she was landlady of a pub in Exeter, before moving to Maidenhead in 1976, where she still lives.

Don sadly passed away in 1988, and Ivy has lived independently ever since, overcoming several serious health concerns in recent years.

Alan puts Ivy’s longevity down to the fortifying nip of whiskey she still swears by in her morning cup of tea.

He added that the family still intends to throw Ivy her party: “When she comes out of this we hope she’ll just get better and better and we can give her the celebration we planned.”