86-Year-Old Grandmother Shows ‘Fighting Spirit’ by Beating CCP Virus

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A grandmother of three has survived the CCP virus after a week in intensive care at the age of 86. Now, her proud family is sharing their matriarch’s “fighting spirit” to provide a ray of hope to others in the midst of uncertain times.

On March 26, 2020, Barbara Briley’s son, Richard, posted a photo of himself with his beloved mother on Facebook, celebrating her survival against the odds. He began, “This is me with my mum, she has survived Hitler, open heart surgery, 2 replacement knees, and 2 replacement hips.”

“[A] few weeks ago,” he continued, “she fell, fractured her hip, 2 ribs, and her spine. Last week she was diagnosed with Covid 19 and spent a week in intensive care.”

“Today she has been given the all clear,” Richard further added. “[T]his is the sort of thing the media should be concentrating on; there is hope people.”

Barbara Briley, of Wollaton in Nottinghamshire, England, was born just prior to the Second World War and has worked as a newsagent. Later in life, she survived heart surgery and has been hospitalized twice since February 2020.

As per the Nottingham Post, Barbara fell and fractured her hip in February, then just one month later, the mother of three fractured her spine in a second fall while undergoing physiotherapy at a rehabilitation center.

On March 12, Barbara was admitted to the emergency room of Nottingham’s Queen’s Medical Center. While she was being treated for her fractured spine, doctors noticed that Barbara was also exhibiting symptoms of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as novel coronavirus. A test confirmed a positive diagnosis.

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Barbara’s daughter, Karen Gabriel, practice manager of the Mary Potter Health Centre in Radford, explained that at the height of her mother’s sickness, her chest was filled with fluid and doctors considered a “do-not-resuscitate” order. However, despite being a member of the “high-risk” demographic owing to her age and underlying health conditions, the stoic grandmother started to get better.

On March 27, Karen told the Nottingham Post that her elderly mother had endured total isolation for eight days and was feeling “very overwhelmed.”

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“We tried to teach her FaceTime but we ran out of patience with that,” Karen explained. “[S]o she has been doing her crosswords and she rings us. She just wants to be at home again.”

Karen and her 24-year-old son, James, also contracted the virus but only suffered mild symptoms, including a loss of smell and taste. “We had all been in close proximity to [Barbara] because we had been with her looking out for her needs. ”

A member of the ambulance service leads a patient into an ambulance at St Thomas' Hospital in London on March 24, 2020. ©Getty Images | DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS

The CDC advises that, based upon current information and clinical expertise, senior citizens and any people with serious underlying health conditions may be at a higher risk for severe illness resulting from the CCP virus. However, as per Barbara Briley’s example, there can sometimes be exceptions to this rule.

“Not everyone has to die,” Karen told the Nottingham Post. “It gives you hope that old people and those with underlying health conditions [can survive].”

Barbara’s extraordinary tale of beating the CCP virus has since caught the attention of more than 700,000 social media users. Richard’s post received more than half a million shares, and people from around the world have left comments.

One social media user wrote, “Thanks for sharing and reminding us about the possibility and hope.”

While another commented, “That’s wonderful, she’s a fighter to get through all that.Wow.”

Medical assistant Mirian Fuentes (L) and nurse Laurie Kuypers check paperwork at a drive-up clinic at the University of Washington Medical Center's Northwest Outpatient Medical Center in Seattle on March 17, 2020. ©Getty Images | Karen Ducey

As for Barbara, who is a cemented member of the Wollaton community, she looks forward to leaving the hospital, James explained.

“One thing Nanny would say is a massive thank you for all of the support,” James concluded, adding, “It’s not a miracle. It’s hard work from the NHS and her fighting spirit.”