75-Year-Old Scottish Grandfather Beats COVID-19 Despite Having Only One Lung Due to Cancer

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A grandfather left with just one lung after two successive battles with cancer is celebrating a brand-new triumph; the 75-year-old has beaten the virus.

Owing to the lockdown restrictions, William Burns, from the town of Irvine in North Ayrshire, Scotland, was forced to endure his latest hospital stay separated from loved ones after being diagnosed with the virus. He was isolated from his loving wife of 54 years, Ruby, and the couple’s five sons and placed in intensive care at Crosshouse Hospital in Ayrshire.

As reported by Metro, William survived prostate cancer once, then endured a second battle in 2007 when the cancer returned. The 75-year-old grandfather lost a lung during that second bout, leaving him vulnerable to catching pneumonia.

“I’ve had viruses before but this one was very bad,” William told the Daily Record. “I’m used to getting infections as my throat has been scarred by treatments but my breathing was getting worse.”

However, after four weeks in the hospital as a highly vulnerable patient with only one lung, William defied the odds by coming through the other side of the infection. He was discharged on April 23, 2020.

Crosshouse Hospital, near Kilmarnock, Scotland, as photographed on July 20, 2009 Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images

The septuagenarian received a standing ovation from his doctors, nurses, and fellow patients as he exited the ward in which he had been treated. “All the staff at the hospital were superb,” William responded, “and I can’t thank them enough for what they did for me while I was there.”

A photo taken outside the hospital’s main entrance has since gone viral, depicting William punching the air triumphantly with a huge grin.

The grandfather called his recovery a miracle but attributed the credit to his positive attitude. “I have a really positive outlook and I believe in the power of the brain,” he said. “There was never a moment when I thought I wasn’t going to make it.”

William’s son Stewart collected his father from the hospital. Stewart admitted that it had been “terrible” to be kept away from his father during his sickness. Ruby had struggled to stay calm. Video calls, Stewart said, had allowed the family to stay in communication.

William’s eldest son, James, will wait longer than other members of the family to be reunited with his father, as he himself is a cancer survivor and thus immunocompromised. “It’s hard,” James admitted. “But I’m so happy he’s home safe ... we all stayed positive and prayed for him.”

According to the Daily Mail, William is best known in his local area for his business, Charles Burns and Sons, a family-run foot health company that passed down through the generations since 1867. Upon William’s return home, his son Stewart praised the 75-year-old business veteran for being a survivor.

“I couldn’t tell you how many times he’s had pneumonia over the last 12 years since he had lung cancer,” Stewart told the Daily Record. “He’s now managed to dodge another bullet here which is just amazing. He’s in great spirits.”

After being reunited with her husband, Ruby promised to make sure that William was “well fed.” She planned to prepare her husband a traditional home-cooked Scottish dish of mince and potatoes.

“It’s lovely to be out,” William reflected. “I’ve missed fresh air, without a doubt, and it feels great to be home and back in my own bed. It’s also been six weeks since I’ve had a haircut, and my hair grows very quickly!”

William will celebrate his 76th birthday on April 29.