If you've been married for over 40 years, you could say that you've been through a lot together.
But for Robert and Janice Beecham, that would be an understatement.
They have been married for 46 years and this year, after a string of back-to-back health issues, they are happy to report, they beat them all.
“It’s a blessing to be here because a lot of people didn’t make it,” Janice told CNN.
According to CNN, Robert and Janice had been following the safety rules but Robert started to feel symptoms of Covid-19.
A week and a half later he still wasn’t feeling well so the couple got tested for the virus.
The next day, on March 25, he called his son and agreed to be taken to the hospital.
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“He knew me agreeing without a fight meant that I was feeling pretty terrible,” he said.
Robert was admitted to Parkland Hospital in Dallas alone, and found out the next day that he was COVID-19 positive.
Robert told the doctor about having two strokes, one in 2012 and 2016, and missing out on an anniversary.
He found himself in the same situation this year, so his doctor, Dr. Satyam Nayak, decided to use that as motivation to get him home.
Dr. Nayak came up with a plan where Robert could go home and get the care he needed from his wife. He made it home in time for their April 15 anniversary.
This year was not only special because Robert had recovered from COVID, but his wife had also recovered from several health challenges herself.
Janice had just recovered from having surgery in February after finding out about a second battle with breast cancer and a new diagnosis with ovarian cancer--back to back!
She also tested positive for COVID-19, but luckily, she told CNN, her symptoms were mild.
“Once I got home, and we did the quarantine, I was getting progressively better but Janice still had issues with her health,” Robert said.
“We’re best friends, it was just tough,” Robert said.
Robert was right when he said it's tough. It's tough for anyone, but it's especially tough for cancer patients.
One study, which reviewed records of more than 1,000 adult cancer patients who had tested positive for COVID-19, found that 13% had died.
That’s compared with the overall U.S. mortality rate of 5.9%, according to Johns Hopkins.
Beyond the concern of cancer patients, like catching the virus with their already depleted immune systems, many doctors worry about people delaying their scans and checkups and missing time-sensitive diagnoses.
A Kaiser poll found that nearly half of Americans had skipped or postponed medical care because of the outbreak--especially cancer patients.
But not Janice.
Now, after surviving two surgeries, two coronavirus diagnoses, chemo and being declared cancer-free, the Beechams only have one thing to say.
“It would have been impossible to make it with all the odds against you without God, and He has been our help, all these many years,” Robert said.
With 4.4 Million people who have contracted the virus in the U.S. and 2.15 Million have already recovered, Robert and Janice are in good company.
Janice still has preventative radiation coming up, but the two said they are blessed to be alive and blessed to have celebrated another year together.
Here's to both Robert and Janice and to another beautiful 46 more years together! God bless you both!
