Coronavirus Update: 2 Women 60 Years Apart, With Underlying Conditions, Survive COVID-19
MIAMI (CBSMiami) - CBS4 is learning new details about two women from Miami-Dade and Broward with underlying conditions who are more than 60 years apart who both survived their battles with the coronavirus.
Thirty-six-year-old Pamela Rosero waved from her balloon-filled wheelchair at Nurses, doctors and staff members as she was leaving Kendall Regional Medical Center. It is a remarkable story about a woman with Down Syndrome who had been hospitalized since April 1st.
Her mother Zoila Argudo held a hand to her heart as she said with emotion "She's doing very well. Thank God she is ok. She received the best treatment here at the hospital. I appreciate them a lot about what they did for her every day. She was very very sick and I did not think she would come out. I am very very happy. Because thank God I have the life of my daughter. It is a miracle."
Argudo then turned and waved at the dozens of staff members at Kendall Regional Medical Center before leaving with her daughter who clutched a teddy bear that was in her lap.
CBS4's Peter D'Oench also spoke with 97-year-old Jean Boccard who recently left Coral Springs Medical Center after spending 9 days there in intensive care after being diagnosed with COVID-19.
That too is an inspiring story of survival as she has underlying conditions including heart disease and diabetes.
It was two weeks ago when her son Vincent Boccard says a caregiver found Jean on the floor of her home and called 911 and him.
"This actually started four weeks ago when my Mom had cold symptoms but she did not want to go to the hospital," said Vincent.
Boccard said, "I am feeling great today. Thank goodness. I went in to the hospital for pneumonia and they walked me if I wanted to take the test to see if I had the virus and I said ok and they went ahead and took the test and then they told me I had it. I couldn't believe it because I didn't have any symptoms you would hear about. I didn't have coughing. I had a normal temperature. I was just tired and I had headaches and that was it."
"I was not worried because I take life as it comes and I wasn't worried if I didn't make it. It will be ok and at my age at 97 how far can I go. Maybe I can go to 100 or further. This wasn't that hard for me. It wasn't as bad as having a cold. I had no temperature. It was ok. I did not have any changes."
D'Oench asked her how she was so brave.
"Well I can tell you that I have had a very busy life. I have a had wonderful life and I have done so many wonderful things. God has done so much for me in my lifetime," she said.
"I have met the Pope. I have been on a blimp. I have taken my 3 children to go camping out west. MY husband was a Commissioner and former Mayor in El POrtal. I did a lot of charity work in the city."
Her son said she was given the controversial drug hyrdochloraquinne.
"I believe that may have saved her life," said Vincent Boccard.
The White House has referred to the drug as a "game-changer" but critics have complained that it can have some dangerous side effects.
Jean Boccard said "I didn't even know if I had been given it as I was hooked up to so many wires and had so many injections. My message is to be positive and don't give in to anything. Be positive and do what you have to and accept what they ask you to do."
Vincent said "She's a very hard, tough and stubborn woman who takes life as it comes and here she is. I would have to say she received a lot of great help from Coral Springs Medical Center, Coral Springs Fire Rescue.
They did everything possible that they could and she received a lot of great care at home.
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