Oregon veteran recovers from COVID-19, celebrates 104th birthday
The world's oldest COVID-19 survivor is a World War II veteran and is celebrating his 104th birthday with a social distancing party, according to local reports.
William "Bill" Lapschies, an Oregon man, was one of the first two residents to test positive for COVID-19 at the Edward C. Allworth Veteran's Home. The Oregon Department of Veterans' Affairs has a total of 15 residents infected with coronavirus and two have passed away as of today.
The war veteran was born in 1916, two years after the Spanish flu that infected one-third of the world's population and killed 675,000 Americans and more than 50 million people around the world.
According to OPB, Lapschies was drafted into the United States Army in 1943 and served in the Aleutian Islands.
Being Tested Positive
Lapschies' daughter Carolee Brown said that her father was "very very sick" after testing positive and that at one point, they have already discussed the possibility of her father not making it. Fortunately, Lapschies is a fighter.
Brown recalls that her father seemed to make a wonderful recovery, and everyone is shocked to see that their patriarch is now sitting in his wheelchair, waving through the window. Likewise, his son-in-law also commented on how resilient Lapschies is after he went through significant events in history and now surviving the deadly coronavirus.
William Lapschies at 104
104-year-old American Second World War veteran survived the coronavirus & he becomes the world’s oldest COVID19 survivor, after being discharged from hospital in Oregon
On Wednesday, the Lapschies celebrated his 104th birthday, and his family greeted him outside of Edward C. Allworth Veterans' Home in Lebanon, Oregon, with balloons, cakes, and signs. The whole family still observes social distancing by staying 6 feet away from each other.
Lapschies is wheeled out of the home by the staff onto a patio and is wearing his blue face mask and a hat embroidered with gold letters spelling out WWII Veteran. He may be the oldest to recover from the virus, but he is second only to Bill Kelly, who also just recently recovered.
Also Read: 101-Year Old Spanish flu and World War 2 Survivor Has Now Beat COVID-19 As Well
During his 100th birthday, there are over 200 people who attended his party. Although he has lesser visitors this year, this one was every bit as special and all the sweeter for Lapschies, saying he finally made it after surviving the deadly disease.
In his 104 years of existence, Lapschies already has two grandchildren, six great-grandchildren, and five great-great-grandchildren. The family cannot wait to hug him, and they are looking forward to being able to take him for a drive outside when the pandemic is over so that he can see the river and the mountains.
Lapschies' family thanked the staff at the home where their patriarch is residing, saying that they could not thank them enough for their kindness and care for William during this difficult time.
They are hoping that their family's experience will inspire some of the other people that are going through the same crisis, and they are looking forward to next year to celebrate William's 105th birthday.
Also Read: Why Do We Get Old?