09/04/2026
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1dJTpPnvnK/
At 107 years old, Joana Ricardina celebrated her birthday with a party completely inspired by Barbie. Her children and grandchildren organized the celebration in Itiruçu, Bahia, Brazil, with balloons, flowers, cake, and decorations in shades of pink and gold.
Joana had been widowed at 48 and had to work to support her children. She also faced health problems and lost the vision in one of her eyes. Even so, she always looked forward to the arrival of May, the month in which she celebrated her birthday.
For her 107th birthday, the family decided to fulfill one of her wishes and prepare a party with the theme of the famous doll. Joana dressed in pink and starred in one of the most striking photographs from the celebration inside a huge Barbie box, specially built for her. Instead of the doll’s name, the box bore her nickname: “Dinha”.
Images from the celebration went viral on social media, and Joana came to be known as “Barbie Grandma”. The tradition continued: the following year, when she turned 108, her family once again organized a themed party for her, this time inspired by Penélope Charmosa, with special decorations and even a car inspired by the character.
Joana died on April 29, 2026, at the age of 109, in Itiruçu, just eight days before turning 110. But the photographs from that 107th birthday remain one of the most heartwarming records of “Barbie Grandma”, a woman who turned her birthday into a celebration filled with pink, family, and joy.
