Coronavirus News: 104-year-old COVID-19 survivor shares her story

ByKemberly Richardson WABC logo

Wednesday, May 13, 2020

Spunky 104-year-old COVID-19 survivor shares her story

Kemberly Richardson interviews a 104-year-old woman with a fighting spirit and a whole lot of spunk, who is sharing her story after beating COVID-19.

SOUTH HUNTINGTON, New York (WABC) -- A 104-year-old woman with a fighting spirit and a whole lot of spunk is sharing her story after beating COVID-19.

Lilian Menendez is the most senior among the seniors at Apex Rehab & Healthcare in South Huntington, Long Island.

This 104-year-old miraculously beat COVID-19, but then again, Menendez is no ordinary woman.

"I feel wonderful, I can kill a horse, I can kill a bull, if a bull comes at me I'll stab it," Menendez said.

She's a firecracker. What you see is what you get.

But when this great-grandmother got sick and tested positive for coronavirus on April 20, she was put in a special unit.

Menendez says it was very lonely because she couldn't talk to anyone, couldn't see anybody and was isolated from everything.

She stayed in isolation for 20 days but is now symptom free.

"She's very strong-willed and always told us COVID-19 is not going to get her and she fought though it," nurse Anabelle Mazzochi said. "It's her spunk, her fighting spirit that got her to survive this and tell her story."

Born and raised in Harlem, Menendez was married to her husband, Albert, for 56 years.

At one point she worked at Lord and Taylor on Fifth Avenue and had two kids.

Mazzochi said Menedez was looking forward to being interviewed -- and she even put on lipstick. But at her age, she said it's hard to get excited about anything.

"No I'm not excited about nothing no more, at 104 what do you get excited about ... nothing," Menedez said.

The 104-year-old said the secret to her longevity is that she kept herself busy by crocheting and knitting.

Her mom lived until she was 98 years old. When asked how she wanted to celebrate her 105th birthday, Menendez said she wanted to do nothing but sleep.

As a 104-year-old coronavirus survivor, a day of sleep for Menendez is well-deserved.