CORONAVIRUS
Utah Woman Beats COVID In Time To Celebrate 96th Birthday
Dec 31, 2020, 12:19 AM
PLEASANT GROVE, Utah – After a battle with COVID-19 that led to a two-day hospital stay, a woman recovered in time to celebrate her 96th birthday from home.
Neighbors showed up outside the home of Carol Hirschi on Tuesday to sing “Happy Birthday,” while many of her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren marked the milestone via a Zoom call.
“It was just so heartwarming,” said Hirschi.
Hirschi said her legs felt like “lead” and she struggled with fatigue, but it was another issue that put her in the hospital.
“At my age it could have been bad, because I have a congestive heart problem, which a lot of old people do,” Hirschi said. “It kind of set my heart out of rhythm, and that’s how come I had to go to the hospital—to get that straightened out.”
Hirschi expressed optimism about the vaccine that was starting to be administered in Utah.
“I know that they’re working hard,” she said. “They say your immunity only lasts three months, but I learned that you do what the governor says and stay home and stay safe.”
Hirschi, who had made it a practice to go swimming three days per week prior to getting sick, said she hoped to be in good enough health to resume swimming in the spring.
She said she realized she has been blessed.
“We’ve got to learn to be resilient and certainly I have learned a lesson in being more empathetic with people who don’t have good health, because I just always have,” Hirschi said.
