See the Moment 98-Year-Old Meets Great-Granddaughter for the First Time — and Learns She's Named for Her (Exclusive)

• Amanda Starace and her sister Brianna Pecora share a special bond with their 100-year-old grandma, Jeanne

• When Starace, 33, learned she was pregnant a few years ago she knew she wanted to name her daughter after her grandmother

• After giving birth, Pecora, 28, recorded her grandma's interaction with the baby girl — and her reaction to learning she was named for her

• Recently, she decided to share the clip on TikTok, where it quickly went viral, amassing almost 2 million views

Amanda Starace and her sister Brianna Pecora share a special bond with their 100-year-old grandma, Jeanne. Growing up with a single mom, their grandma often played a central role in taking care of them, always around as a constant and loving presence.

A few years ago, when Starace, 33, discovered she was pregnant after a difficult time conceiving, she knew she wanted to honor her grandma, who had prayed for her throughout the process. She scheduled lunch with her to share the exciting news, and her grandma was overjoyed.

"My due date was October 8, which is also my birthday," Starace tells PEOPLE exclusively. "It’s a meaningful date for our family because my mom had a baby before me, a little boy named Joseph. He was born in August but had a genetic mutation that prevented him from digesting food, so he passed away on October 8, 1990. Then, I was born on October 8, 1991."

"We felt like it was a sign from above that maybe Joseph had sent us this baby," she adds. "We told her if it was a boy, we’d name him Joseph. But if it was a girl, we’d name her after her. She was just elated and definitely cried a lot."

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During her pregnancy, Starace admits she had concerns about her grandma not being able to meet her daughter due to her advanced age. But when the time came for Starace to give birth, Jeanne, who was 98 at the time, was still going strong.

So, after Starace was released from the hospital, she called her mom saying, "You need to bring Grandma here right now. We never know how much time she has left," Starace recalls.

Right away, her mom brought Grandma Jeanne to meet her great-granddaughter, Lilly Jeanne, named in her honor. Upon meeting her great-granddaughter, Jeanne was speechless.

"My grandma’s name is Jeanne, but originally, it was spelled 'Jean,' " Starace says. "When she was filling out paperwork to serve in World War II, she thought the spelling was too plain, so she changed it to 'J-E-A-N-N-E,' and that’s how it’s been ever since. My name is Amanda Jean, spelled 'Jean,' just like hers originally was."

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In the moment, Pecora, 28, recorded her grandma's interaction with the little one who carried her name.

Recently, while her grandma was going through a health scare, Pecora was going through her camera roll and came across the heartwarming video. She decided to share it on TikTok, where it quickly went viral, amassing almost 2 million views.

"When Brianna told me she posted it, I was like, 'I’m in a nursing robe in this video! This is so embarrassing!' But ... we just went with it," Starace says.

"I’ve been surprised by how many people have the name Jean," she adds. "There were literally 2,000 comments from people saying, 'My middle name is Jean,' or 'My grandma’s name is Jean.' That was so sweet, and I think a lot of people were just nostalgic about their grandparents. They said things like, 'I wish my grandma were still around,' or shared their own connections to the video."

As their grandma gets older, both Starace and Pecora are cherishing every moment with her. They deeply value the wisdom she shares, particularly her belief in loving life and living it to the fullest. They also take great joy in watching Lilly Jean form a special bond with her great-grandma.

"I try to visit as often as I can — usually once or twice a month," Starace explains. "But Lilly loves FaceTiming her all the time. She calls her 'Grandma Jean' and says, 'I'm Lilly Jean, just like you.' They have such a sweet relationship. They even eat lunch together, both having peanut butter and jelly, and Lilly loves to show her everything she can do. FaceTiming is really important to her."

"I try to involve my grandma in almost everything I do with Lilly because I want her to remember her too," she continues. "It’s been incredibly special to witness the full circle — from my grandma taking care of me to now helping with my daughter. It’s truly everything I could have asked for."

Read the original article on People