Little Egg Harbor Woman Beats COVID After Her 105th Birthday

LITTLE EGG HARBOR, NJ — A nursing home resident in Little Egg Harbor turned 105 and tested positive for COVID-19 in the same day.

Three weeks later, Lucia DeClerck beat the coronavirus.

DeClerck was recognized by Gov. Phil Murphy on Monday during a news briefing after he spoke with her.

“This woman has lived through the Spanish Flu, COVID-19, two World Wars and God knows what else in between,” Murphy said. “What an uplifting conversation.”

DeClerck is the oldest resident at Mystic Meadows Rehab and Nursing Center, according to Michael Neiman, the nursing home's administrator. She turned 105 on Jan. 25, the day after she received her second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

After contracting COVID-19 in January, Neiman said DeClerck showed few symptoms.

It took her more than two weeks to recover, and then she was back in her bed holding her rosary beads.

“It’s amazing,” said Neiman. “She’s alert and oriented. She can have a conversation with you about anything.”

The New York Times also reported on DeClerck, revealing her secret to old age is prayer, and eating nine gin-soaked golden raisins every morning.

Before the pandemic, DeClerck attended Mass in the nursing home’s chapel every week. The chapel is affectionately called “Lucia’s chapel" by the home's staff, according to Neiman.

“Not only is she blessed, I really feel she blesses the whole building,” he said.

The nursing home has felt the impact of the pandemic after losing four of their residents to COVID-19 over the past year. Of the 66 residents who tested positive for COVID-19, 62 of them beat it.

“Three out of those four residents were on hospice prior to getting COVID, so to have 62 residents out of 66 residents recover and get back to normal is amazing,” Neiman said.

The staff held a Zoom birthday party for DeClerck and her family last month, and Neiman said the celebrating will continue.

The nursing home is planning to have a belated birthday party for Declerck and her family when visitations can take place again.

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