90 year-old coronavirus survivor shares her story

KIRKLAND, Wash. — Geneva Wood, 90, is back home at her Kirkland apartment after surviving coronavirus.

"It's super great to be able to reach out and touch my kids and give them a hug or give them a kick, whatever they need," said Wood with a laugh.

Wood is thankful to be alive after 40 people associated with Life Care Center of Kirkland died from the virus.

Wood had a stroke in December and was taken to Evergreen Hospital. A month later, she was taken to Life Care Center of Kirkland to recover. She learned to walk and talk again. She was improving so much she was days from going home when the coronavirus outbreak was discovered at the nursing home.

In what now could be an event that saved her life, Wood fell at Life Care and broke her hip. She was taken to Evergreen Medical Center where her family asked for her to be tested for coronavirus. She was taken back to Life Care. The test came back positive and when she got a fever, she was taken to Harborview Medical Center.

“You just think it was a a death sentence with her age,” said Cami Neidigh, Wood’s daughter.

On March 11, Wood's condition declined to the point doctors had her family come to say goodbye. Neidigh described her mom reaching at them from the other side of the glass. Seeing the desperation and grief, hospital staff allowed Neidigh, wearing full protective gear, to hug her mom one last time.

"I knew that I was leaving with peace and that I wanted them to know that I loved them and enjoyed them," Wood remembered with tears in her eyes.

But soon Wood improved and kept improving. Neidigh said her mom credits the potato soup, a family recipe, she asked them to bring her.

“Well, potato soup, you know, all my life whenever I got sick, all I wanted was potato soup,” said Wood.

After fighting her way back, Wood tested negative for coronavirus.

Now she’s back home, a place she thought she’d never see again, with the family she longed for during her lonely fight against COVID-19.

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