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How to improve the mood of older adults in the pandemic? 2:15
(CNN) - Bill Lapschies and his family have a lot to celebrate this year. The Oregon war veteran has recovered from covid-19 and just celebrated his 104th birthday.
Visitors are unable to enter the Edward C. Allworth Veterans Home in Lebanon, Oregon due to state restrictions, but were able to have a small celebration outside.
- They sang happy birthday 80 to their neighbor from their windows for the quarantine in Spain
Staff carried him in a wheelchair to a patio Wednesday and put a blanket and flag-covered quilt on his lap. Loved ones held signs, greeted and blew kisses from a safe distance.
Her daughter Carolee Brown told CNN affiliate KOIN that this was not how they planned to celebrate her big day.
“We celebrated his 101st and we had more than 200 people. So we try to maintain our social distance and do what Governor [Kate] Brown asked us to do, "he told KOIN. "But we are very excited that he has recovered from this and we just had to do something for him."
The Governor congratulated him on his birthday on Facebook.
The Oregon Department of Veterans Affairs says 15 residents at the facility tested positive for coronavirus and two died.
Lapschies was kept in isolation in his room after he started showing symptoms on March 5 and his daughter told KOIN that he became "very, very sick."
"It looked like he had just made this wonderful recovery," Brown said. "We were surprised that he was sitting in his wheelchair greeting us through the window and we thought, 'He will make it!'"
The family said they are grateful to the staff for the kindness and care they showed Lapschies as he recovered.
Jim Brown, the son-in-law, told KOIN that Lapschies is "pretty tough" and that he had survived the Spanish flu and the Great Depression. He was sent to the Aleutian Islands of Alaska during World War II.
When asked how he felt about turning 104, Lapschies said, “Pretty good. I did it. I'm fine for some more. "
- Before this mother died of coronavirus, her six children said goodbye by walkie talkie
His family told KOIN that they were eager to celebrate his 105th birthday and the moment they can take him for a walk and give him big hugs.
"Her smile, I wish you could have seen her, that mask covers her, but her smile is absolutely contagious," granddaughter Jamie Yutzie told KOIN.
They also hoped that their recovery could give hope to others with coronavirus.
War veteran