Relationships1 min(s) read
Loving husband dies of coronavirus three weeks after visiting wife on her deathbed
A doting husband has passed away from COVID-19 less than three weeks after visiting his wife's bedside before she also succumbed to the virus.
Sam and JoAnn Reck had been married for 30 years before JoAnn fell ill with the novel coronavirus.
Due to the fact that 86-year-old JoAnn lived in a nursing home, Sam, 90, had been banned from visiting her for months due to the pandemic.
However, after she was transferred to Florida's Lakeland Regional Health Medical Center, Sam was adamant he was going to visit his wife - despite doctors warning him that he could also become fatally ill as a result.
Undeterred, Sam donned the protective gear and paid one last visit to JoAnn's bedside.
In the video below, Sam pays one final visit to JoAnn:
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Speaking to Fox13News, JoAnn's son, Scott Hooper, revealed how Sam not being able to visit his mother had a hugely detrimental effect on her health.
"This was devastating for her. Her dementia spiraled out of control. She had good and bad days or good and bad weeks."
Hooper added that there would often be times where his mother would wake up not knowing where she was.
Then, after four months of lockdown, Scott announced on Facebook that his mother had passed away at the age of 86.
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He wrote: "Our mother has been suffering from dementia for the past year and was in quarantine for over 4 months."
"She was separated from her family, including her husband. This had a very traumatic effect on her. She recently came down with COVID-19 and passed away on Sunday, July 12, 2020. We all love you, Mom."
Then, tragically, Scott took to Facebook once more to reveal that his step-father had also died of COVID-19, three weeks after his mother.
Writing on Facebook, Scott wrote: "Today we lost Sam to the same affliction as our mother three weeks earlier, Covid-19.
"It felt strange to return to the exact room I last saw my mother, now with Sam going through the same struggle to breathe. He was with us in this room when we all said goodbye to my mom. He was very much a broken man seeing her suffer.
"After Sam tested positive for Covid, I asked him if he regretted his visit to the hospital. Without pause he replied, 'Not one second.' He said no matter what happens, he was very happy he had the opportunity to say goodbye and hold her hand one more time."
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Scott then recalled how Sam came into his mother's life following the death of his father. He wrote:
"Thirty years ago when my father passed away, my mother was depressed and not leaving the house. Her Pastor visited and insisted she go to a church social, which she reluctantly agreed to. It was there Sam asked her to dance and they immediately connected.
"Sam brought so many new adventures into her life, including their travels throughout the U.S. playing bluegrass music at festivals.
"In the past year, my mom suffered with dementia and Sam helped her get through her daily struggle. She was moved into a skilled nursing floor. He would drive his scooter every morning and stay with her all day until he kissed her goodnight and went back to his room.
"Thank you Sam, for everything you have done for our family, and for loving my mother.
"We all love you. I know you are now back with my mom playing bluegrass music together."
Scott also created a video tribute to his mother, which can be seen below:
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Our thoughts are with JoAnn and Sam's family and friends...