Woman Celebrates 103rd Birthday a Few Months after Beating COVID-19

An Oklahoma centenarian battled and beat her novel coronavirus disease diagnosis in 2020. A few months later, she got the biggest surprise for her birthday from her friends and family.

Della Hathorne spent nearly two weeks battling the novel coronavirus in mid-October 2020. The Oklahoma woman fought for her life vigorously at Mercy Hospital Logan County in Guthrie.

After beating COVID-19, her son Lorenzo confessed that he couldn’t believe she made it because survival statistics for the virus don’t favor elderly people. At the time, she was being released from the hospital.

Hathorne is a mother to seven children, a grandmother to twenty-six, and a great-grandmother to more than one-hundred children. In late January 2021, she officially celebrated her 103rd birthday!

What she didn’t expect that weekend was a surprise socially-distanced birthday parade that her family and friends attended. The centenarian was thrilled by the event!

She was originally celebrated while being wheeled out of the hospital after beating her diagnosis last year. Medical staff lined the hallways and clapped for her as she left the premises. Speaking about the parade, she said:

“I didn't know that they were gonna do all of that.”

A family member explained that they’d decided to do something for Hathorne because she usually did everything for everyone else. The relative also revealed how "very emotional" the birthday girl was during the parade.

Sadly, in the UK, a famous centenarian army veteran lost his battle with the coronavirus this month.

She even fought off tears as she watched cars drive by, decorated to commemorate the day with colorful streamers and balloons. Hathorne was quite lucky to have survived her diagnosis.

According to medical statistics, if people over 60 catch COVID-19, it could be a lethal diagnosis. Besides fighting and beating the virus, Hathorne also had advice for those who wished to be centenarian’s one day.

She explained how she lived so long by treating everyone she came across in the right way. The elderly woman also noted how she treated people the same and tried her best to eat well.

Sadly, in the UK, a famous centenarian army veteran lost his battle with the coronavirus this month. On Tuesday, February 2, 2021, Captain Sir Tom Moore’s family announced his death on Twitter.

The World War II veteran became famous during the first UK lockdown when he took 100 steps around his garden to raise money for health care workers. The late veteran was 100 years old at the time of his death.