Alicia Castillo was a Colombian supercentenarian.
BIOGRAPHY
Alicia Castillo was born in Girardot, Cundinamarca Department, Colombia, on 28 January 1906. Around 1976, she moved to Cali.
In July 2017, she appeared in the Colombian media after being denied a nutritional supplement by her EPS (Health Promoting Entity) because she was 111 years old. The denial occurred because the EPS’s information system was programmed to authorize the supplement only for members between the ages of 0 and 110.
At the time, Alicia was being cared for by her 78-year-old daughter, Cecilia Castillo, who had looked after her ever since Alicia began suffering from senile dementia. Cecilia explained that her mother required Ensure, a nutritional supplement, as well as Quetiapine, a psychiatric medication. For eight months, Cecilia had to pay for these essential items out of her own pocket despite facing significant financial hardship and health problems herself.
Alicia Castillo passed away in Cali, Valle del Cauca Department, on 25 September 2018, at the age of 112 years, 240 days.
RECOGNITION
On 27 August 2016, following the passing of Ana Sara Márquez de Ramírez, she became the oldest known living person in Colombia. Upon her own passing, she was succeeded by Carmen Emilia Jaramillo Chavarria.
Her age was researched by Santiago García Medina, and announced as a pending validation by the Latin American Supercentenarians (LAS) on 12 May 2021.
ATTRIBUTION
* “Denuncian que EPS en Cali no le entrega suplemento alimenticio a abuela porque tiene más de 110 años” – Noticias Caracol, 27 July 2017
* “Alicia Castillo, la mujer a la que le niegan medicamentos por tener 111 años” – El País (Colombia), 28 July 2017
GALLERY
At the age of 111, with her daughter Cecilia. (Source: El País.com.co)
RELATED PROFILES
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