80-Year-Old Woman Hosts Her Own 'FOMO Funeral': 'She Refuses To Miss Anything'

An elderly woman in the United States celebrated her 80th birthday by hosting a "FOMO funeral", a memorial service to make sure she wouldn't miss a single tribute or story shared in her honour, the New York Post reported. While most people prefer not to think about their own send-off, Shelvy Neal's unique approach towards life and death is going viral on social media. For Neal, the unusual celebration was all about overcoming the classic "Fear Of Missing Out". She realised that people rarely get to hear the kind words spoken about them after they pass away; she decided that she wanted to be there to experience it all firsthand.

"She said, 'Well, I just hate [that] I'm not going to be there,'" daughter Tammy Crutchfield told the outlet.

"And I said, 'Well, let's just go ahead and do it.'"

After she told her family about her thoughts, they were supportive and started planning her memorial service, calling it a "FOMO funeral".

"It's gonna be about celebrating Christ and my life, 80 years of my life," before her own funeral, Neal said, as quoted by the media outlet. "It's been a good one."

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The gathering took place at Neal's home in Macon, Georgia, a property she and her late husband owned for roughly 25 years.

Friends, family, and neighbours gathered for what reportedly turned out to be a heart-filled party labelled a memorial. A cutout of Neal was put inside a coffin, and around 100 people paid their respects.

There was also a white cake with a 'stairway to heaven' theme. "She refuses to miss anything...especially her own funeral," the message on the cake read.

"FOMO: The funeral she refuses to miss," another line on the cake read.

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The event was packed with laughter, music, and fond memories. Loved ones lined up to share personal stories, express their gratitude for Neal.

"If they want to, they can say bad things,' Neal earlier said. "But I'm gonna be there, and I might cut the mic."

"I'm gonna control my own funeral."

"I think it will be easier on my family to do something like this, but also, you know, funeral is F-U-N."

"And I like fun," she said.