Warning for deceased character (natural causes) and references to Nadia’s death.
Elmira Minnie Whitford (21 May 1941 - 1 February 2022, aged 80) is Kiryl’s paternal great-grandmother, a huge supporter of the peace. She retired as a nurse years before her passing, but her peace work never ended. She’s been an advocate of human rights and was a longtime fighter against segregation. Like Kiryl, she was also motivated by heroes. The two love seeing one another which is a very great privilege for both. Kiryl asks for great-grandmother Elmira to tell an old story about her youth. Since Elmira was now rather old, and Kiryl very young, she decides to tell him about her own inspirations. Once Elmira is finished telling her story, Kiryl asks, “What about them? Are they still alive?” Elmira shakes her head and responds, “Not for decades now…”
Being old was a challenge for Elmira, especially seeing the idols she looked up to pass away. She often thought about how Kiryl and Egor reacted when Michael Jackson died…only to realise they weren’t born yet. Still, she’s mesmerised by how this didn’t stop their fandom, even if they didn’t have the experiences seeing him that she had. Although she was older, she credited her son Henry, whose name was the middle namesake for Della’s son and Elmira’s great-grandson Langston, for her love for saving the Earth. Henry got her into earth-saving ways to protect the planet. Elmira was happy for her son and she’d be happy that Kiryl is in a contest for climate change.
Elmira didn’t know Flo for that long before her passing but saw Flo’s daughter Nadia years before she passed away. Nadia was a Girl Scout and sold her cookies and in addition, her troop also volunteered at Elmira’s nursing home. Elmira was shocked by the brutality of Nadia’s death and couldn’t imagine that once-sweet Girl Scout losing her life so cruelly. But of course it all made sense: racism. Hate. Elmira grew up seeing it everywhere and the fight for progression. Hate crimes were never okay to her no matter what, no matter when. You couldn’t say it wasn’t an injustice. She fought to help Flo and her family, living the way she found her own heroes to act. Elmira planted a memorial tree for Nadia, which turned into a project to plant multiple trees, with the help of Henry. Elmira was a strong supporter of leaving the world a better place than how she found it. However all good things must come to an end, and Elmira would pass away naturally after a stroke in her sleep in 2022. She never met Langston but was grateful Langston honoured her son Henry, the “biggest hero in her life”. Elmira would have loved to see Kiryl perform and the family knows she would be grateful just to know Kiryl and Layla were in the contest. She’s given Kiryl her scarf before she died, fitting given he and Layla’s love for winter.