100-Year-Old WWII Veteran in Virginia Triumphs After 60-Day Battle Against Virus

(TMU) – A 100-year-old American veteran who survived World War II is being celebrated after triumphing in a 58-day fight against the coronavirus that may have been the most vicious battle of his life.

On March 24, Lloyd Falk was admitted to Henrico, Parham & Retreat Doctors’ Hospital in Richmond Virginia. Falk was one of the first COVID-19 patients admitted to the facility, the hospital reported in a Facebook post.

Tragically, a few weeks ago, Falk’s wife of 74 years succumbed to the deadly virus. However, Falk managed to hold strong through the ordeal.

The hospital wrote on Facebook:

“Despite losing his wife to the virus a few weeks ago, Mr Falk continued to stay strong, defying the odds and surviving his fight against COVID-19.”

In touching video posted last week, the staff at Henrico Doctors’ Hospital can be seen forming an honor guard and giving a standing ovation to Falk as he departed to continue recuperating and rehabilitating from the disease at another facility.

In the Facebook post, the health care workers wrote:

“Today, 100-year-old WWII veteran, Lloyd Falk, beats coronavirus after a 58-day stay at Henrico Doctors’ Hospital.

“This afternoon, the care team at HCA Healthcare’s Henrico Doctors’ Hospital honored Mr. Falk and his late wife, lining up in the hallways and cheering him on as he was wheeled out of the hospital to begin his rehabilitation and recovery.

“We salute you, Mr. Falk. Your courage and resilience inspires us all. You know where to find us if you need us.”

At the start of the video, Falk offers heartfelt thanks for the medical personnel seeing him through to recovery. He said:

“For the most part, you have been so helpful and I really do appreciate it.”

Speaking outside of the hospital, Falk’s daughter Laurie Coulter also expressed her profound thanks for ensuring her father’s survival while also getting him through an incredibly trying and emotional bereavement period following the loss of his wife.

She said:

“I really thought so many times that he was gone, you know, I really did, and he just popped back up, you know.

“Thank you for all everything, all the tests and everything you’ve done for my father,

“And also helping him through losing his wife of 74 years. It was hard on him but all-in-all just wonderful, unbelievable. It’s just amazing how luckily he survived.”

Falk joins the ranks of a number of people in their 90s and 100s who have defied the deadly virus and survived. In the United States, the pandemic has plagued nursing homes and veterans’ facilities, claiming a huge portion of the total lives lost to the novel coronavirus.

In April, the BBC reported that 99-year-old Carrie Pollock, a former officer with the U.K. Special Branch, had been released from the Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth after a long stay in the hospital resulting from a coronavirus infection. Pollock had been extremely unwell during her stay and was experiencing hallucinations and pneumonia.

When she finally became well enough to return to her family, a senior medical official told reporters that her miraculous recovery was an incredible morale boost and inspiration for the hospital staff who attended her.

Featured image credits: Henrico Doctors’ Hospital