90-year-old Florida man who bade wife farewell at hospital before she died of Covid-19 succumbs weeks later
LAKELAND, FLORIDA: A 90-year-old husband insisted on meeting his wife of 30 years before she died of coronavirus. Three weeks later, he too succumbed to the same virus. Sam Reck went to see his wife JoAnn, 86, at Florida's Lakeland Regional Health Medical Center despite doctors advising him against it. He wanted to see his wife one last time before her death on July 12.
Before this, the pair had to be satisfied with socially-distanced visits due to the hospital's strict coronavirus measures. However, their love for each other won the hearts of the hospital staff who branded them 'Romeo and Juliet.' Paying tribute to Reck's determination, Scott Hooper, JoAnn's son from her first marriage, wrote in a Facebook post that Reck never regretted the visit despite testing positive just days later.
"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," he wrote on August 2. "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."
He went onto talk about the ''adventures" that Reck had brought in to JoAnna's life after Scott's father passed away. The pair connected over music and traveled through the country playing bluegrass music at festivals. Reck also helped his mother through the daily struggle of going about things after she suffered dementia.
"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," he wrote. "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."
Many offered their prayers and condolences for the late couple in the comments section. ''Blessings and peace. May your memories give you comfort and joy in the days to come," one wrote, while another said, "So sorry for your loss. I have a feeling that Sam is exactly where he would want to be. What a beautiful love story. Prayers to you and your family."
A third said: "Oh wow! I just saw this! I’m so sorry about Sam. I remember him being a very nice man. I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to sing some Bluegrass with him and Aunt JoAnn many years ago. It’s sad he’s gone but I’m glad he’s with his wife again with no sickness or pain."