Jeanne, their 100-year-old grandmother, holds a special place in the hearts of Amanda Starace and her sister Brianna Pecora. Raised by a single mother, the sisters were often cared for by their grandmother, who showered them with love and support throughout their childhood.
When Starace, 33, learned she was expecting a baby after a challenging journey to pregnancy, she knew she wanted to honor her grandmother, who had been praying for her throughout the process. Jeanne was overjoyed when Starace shared the news with her over lunch.
“My due date was October 8, which is also my birthday,” Starace shares with PEOPLE. “My mom had a little boy named Joseph before me, and that day has always been special to our family. Joseph was born in August and tragically passed away on October 8, 1990, due to a genetic abnormality that prevented him from digesting food. I was born on October 8, 1991, a year later.”
Starace reflects, “It felt like a sign that maybe Joseph had sent us this baby. We decided that if it was a boy, we’d name him Joseph, and if it was a girl, we’d name her after my grandmother.” Jeanne was overwhelmed with joy and shed many tears at the thought.
Throughout her pregnancy, Starace feared that her grandmother’s age—98 at the time—might prevent her from seeing the new baby. However, when Starace went into labor, Jeanne was still doing well.
“I had my mom bring Grandma over right after I was discharged,” Starace recalls. “We never know how much time we have left with her.”
Jeanne was delighted to meet her great-granddaughter, Lilly Jeanne, who was named in her honor. Starace explains, “My grandmother’s name is Jeanne, but it was originally spelled ‘Jean.’ During World War II, she changed the spelling because she thought it was too simple. Now, it’s always been spelled ‘J-E-A-N-N-E.’” Starace shares that her name, Amanda Jean, was also spelled like her grandmother’s original name.
Pecora, 28, captured a touching moment on video when Jeanne spoke to Lilly Jeanne. After a recent health scare, Pecora found the video while scrolling through her camera roll and decided to post it on TikTok, where it quickly went viral with over two million views.
“I was embarrassed at first,” Starace laughs. “I’m in a nursing robe in the video! But we embraced it.” She adds, “The video really resonated with so many people. There were thousands of comments from people saying, ‘My grandma’s name is Jean,’ or ‘My middle name is Jean.’ It was heartwarming, and I think a lot of people connected with the video because they missed their grandparents.”
Now, as Jeanne ages, Starace and Pecora cherish every moment with her. They treasure her wisdom, especially her belief in living life fully. The sisters also love watching Lilly Jeanne form a special bond with her great-grandmother.
“I try to visit as often as I can, usually once or twice a month,” says Starace. “But Lilly loves to FaceTime her. She calls her ‘Grandma Jean’ and says, ‘I’m Lilly Jean, just like you.’ Their connection is so sweet. Lilly loves showing Grandma all that she can do, and they even share peanut butter & jelly lunches together over FaceTime.”
“I try to involve my grandmother in everything I do with Lilly so that she can remember her too,” says Starace. “It’s been incredible to see the full circle—my grandmother caring for me, and now she’s helping raise my child. It’s everything I could’ve hoped for.”