When I was told that I was one of the first people to test positive for COVID-19 at my Veterans’ home, I never thought that I would be celebrating my 104th birthday less than a month later. While we had to celebrate with social distancing protocols, I am beyond grateful to have received so much love and support, I think I’m going to be good for a few more. After I tested positive for the coronavirus, I was very sick for a while and the doctors thought that I may not make it. However, having lived through the Spanish Flu, the Great Depression and being stationed in the Aleutian Islands during World War II meant I was not going to give up without a fight. My resilience ultimately paid off as I made an extraordinary recovery, something that the doctors had rarely seen amid the pandemic. I remember the exact moment I knew I was going to make it when I was able to sit in my wheelchair and wave to my wonderful daughter. I have struggled to give advice to my friends who are going through the same uncertainty that haunted me for so many days in isolation. I constantly found myself asking “am I going to experience my 104th birthday” or “will I be able to see my grandkids, great grandkids and great great grandkids again?” But I want to remind everyone to be strong during this unprecedented time and to never stop fighting. We will not let this virus beat us.
