Jeanne, now 100, has always held a cherished place in the lives of sisters Amanda Starace and Brianna Pecora. Raised by a single mother, the girls often relied on their grandmother, who stepped in with unconditional love and constant support throughout their childhood.
So when Amanda, now 33, finally became pregnant after a difficult journey, she knew instantly how she wanted to honor the woman who had prayed for her every step of the way. Jeanne burst into tears of joy when Amanda shared the news over lunch.
“My due date was October 8 — my own birthday,” Amanda tells PEOPLE. “It’s a meaningful day in our family. My mom had a baby boy, Joseph, before me. He was born in August but passed away on October 8, 1990, because of a rare genetic disorder. Then I was born exactly one year later.”
“That date has always felt touched by something bigger,” she continues. “We told Grandma that if it was a boy, we would name him Joseph. And if it was a girl… we would name her after her. She was overwhelmed.”
But as Amanda’s pregnancy progressed, she quietly feared that Jeanne — then 98 — might not live long enough to meet the baby. Miraculously, her grandmother remained strong as Amanda’s due date approached.
After being discharged from the hospital, Amanda called her mother with one urgent request: “You need to bring Grandma here right now. We don’t know how much time we have.”
Within hours, Jeanne was holding her great-granddaughter, little Lilly Jeanne, named in her honor. The moment left her speechless.
“My grandmother’s name was originally spelled ‘Jean,’” Amanda explains. “During her World War II paperwork, she decided it looked too plain and changed it to ‘Jeanne.’ My middle name, Jean, still uses her original spelling.”
Brianna filmed the emotional first encounter, a clip she later rediscovered after a recent health scare involving their grandmother. She posted it on TikTok — where it quickly went viral, drawing over two million views.
“I was horrified at first — I’m wearing a nursing robe in the video!” Amanda laughs. “But then the comments poured in. So many people said, ‘My grandma’s name is Jean,’ or ‘That’s my middle name.’ It touched a nerve. People were missing their grandparents.”
Now, as Jeanne grows older, the sisters treasure every minute with her — and love watching the bond between Lilly and her great-grandmother deepen.
“I visit whenever I can, but Lilly FaceTimes her constantly,” Amanda says. “She calls her ‘Grandma Jean’ and proudly says, ‘I’m Lilly Jean — just like you.’ They even have peanut-butter-and-jelly lunches together over video.”
Amanda tries to include her grandmother in every part of Lilly’s life, hoping the little girl will always remember the woman who once cared for her own mother.
“Seeing the circle come full-round — my grandmother raising me, and now sharing moments with my daughter — it’s everything I ever wished for,” Amanda says.
