Man Shows Off 'World's Oldest Balloon' That's Been Inflated Almost 30 Years

When babies are born, relatives will rally around buying cards, flowers and sometimes balloons to welcome the newborn home. But it's pretty rare for a balloon to last almost 30 years.

When Ryan Harrison was born, his grandmother purchased a foil 'It's a Boy' inflatable which was but into a box by his parents.

The Sun

When the family were going through old belongings, they came across the Forever Friends balloon which featured a picture of a bear and a teddy.

Ryan claims it was the same one his grandma Josephine, now 82, brought along to the hospital with her when he was born on 11 July 1992.

The Sun

Ryan, who runs a car detailing business, told The Sun: "It had been forgotten all about. I didn't want to touch it because I didn't want it to go bang.

"I have taped it up to stop anything from happening to it. I'm hoping it can get to my 50th birthday."

Someone else who was gifted a balloon when she was born is Sophie Freeborn who, in 2017, claimed to have owned it for 26 years.

David Freeborn, 55, and his wife Yvonne, 63, were sent the 'It's a girl' balloon and a basket of flowers for the birth of their daughter in 1991.

The small, silvery balloon was so old that most of the colour on it has faded and it no longer has any writing on it.

SWNS

In 2017, Yvonne said: "It's bizarre really, it's just as inflated as it was. Normally, the ones you buy these days last a couple of weeks, but this one has been around for 26 years.

"It came the day after she was born in a large basket display of flowers from David's work. The flowers probably lasted a week but the balloon has survived, it's incredible.

"It was a very small estate agents, and it was from the staff there - it was lovely. Every so often, I'd remember it was still there, it was on display all the time and we'd say over the years how odd it was that it was still inflated.

"It's the longest lasting gift, we bought a little Beatrix Potter rabbit for Sophie but that's the only thing that's lasted apart from the balloon."

She added: "The balloon reminds me of how wonderful it is to have a child and how far she has gone since then.

"David was just over the moon when he met his daughter. It was everything he wanted. He loved her from the minute he saw her. The balloon brings back very, very happy memories.

"It's a lovely reminder of one of the happiest days of his life."

Topics: UK Community, Community, UK

Rebecca Shepherd

I'm Becky - a journalist at LADbible. I graduated with a First Class BA in Journalism before going on to cover criminal court cases, medical tribunals and breaking news for the national media - which inevitably and eventually became as glum as it sounds. Can often be found rocking a bag for life - which I made a 'thing' way before Rihanna. You can contact me at [email protected]

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