Man given nine months to live survives 45 more years after moving to ‘blue zone' island

Here is the extraordinary story of Stamatis Moraitis, the man who managed to cheat death for 45 years.

Born in the early 1900s, Stamatis made the move from his native Greece to the US as a young man, however in 1976 his life would be turned upside down after receiving the devastating news that he had around six to nine months left to live after being diagnosed with lung cancer.

Resigned to his fate and not wanting to pay the astronomical funeral costs in the States, Stamatis decided to head back to his native Greece, settling on the island of Ikaria to live out his final days.

Stamatis Moraitis was given just nine months to live back in 1976. (BBC)

However, it turns out that Stamatis would be waiting a lot longer than he expected.

Nine months went by on the island and Stamatis was still living, he didn’t undergo treatment for chemotherapy or seek any further treatment for his cancer other than moving back to his home island.

Spending his days living back at his elderly parents’ home on Ikaria tending to the family vineyards, Stamatis would go on to feel like his health was improving.

In fact, he would go on to live for another 45 years before passing away peacefully of old age in 2013, aged either 98 or 102 - it was even reported in the New York Times that he was cancer-free by this time.

Speaking to the BBC about the secret to his longevity, he joked: "I'm no doctor but I think the wine helped."

Ikaria: the island where people 'don't die'

Often referred to as the 'the island where people forget to die' Ikaria has long been a place which has fascinated many.

He moved back to Greece. (Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

The island is considered one of the planet's 'blue zone', an area with an unusually high life expectancy.

Typically, in a blue zone people will live on average ten years longer than in other parts of Western Europe.

As for Stamatis, he attributed his longevity to eating locally sourced foods, including wine, as well as living a stress-free life. Sounds blissful.

He would even refuse to consume wine which was too commercial, due to the additives which would be put into it. Instead, he would bring his own with him wherever he went.

Why do people who live in 'blue zones' live for such a long time?

One theory is that the food which is produced in these areas happens to coincide with that doctors would recommend for a healthy diet.

The so-called 'Mediterranean diet' has the right proportions of vegetables, protein, and healthy fats, as well as being low in sugar. All these are good things.

Could it be the food? (Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

While genetics do also play a part in how long someone can expect to live, medics have said that lifestyle is a huge part of this.

Decisions around diet, exercise, as well as habits such as smoking and drinking alcohol, all have an impact on someone's life expectancy.

There is, of course, also an element of luck as well. Being hit by a bus might put a dampener on things regardless of your diet, and certain chronic conditions including mental health conditions can also have an impact on life expectancy.

But for Stamatis, it seemed that sunshine, good food, wine and peace were enough for 45 years.

Additional words by Brenna Cooper.