Man Dies Of COVID-19 Days After Remarrying Woman He Waited Decades For

An elderly COVID-19 patient has died just days after he remarried his former wife who he waited decades for.

Eddie D, 74, remarried Patricia M., 75, two days before he died of both cancer and COVID-19 on Jan. 28. The marriage, which was held in the hospital’s ICU, was the second time the pair got married.

Eddie and Patricia were first married in the 1970s. However, their marriage did not last long, with the pair divorcing in a year. They did maintain a friendly relationship after the divorce.

“We were young and stupid,” Patricia told MountainView Hospital. “We divorced in a year but maintained contact over the years.”

The pair reunited in 2016 when Patricia sent Eddie a message, wishing her “favorite ex-husband” a happy birthday. Eddie invited Patricia for dinner and flew from his home in California so they could meet in Las Vegas. They moved in together in 2017.

Eddie was first diagnosed with cancer in late 2021. He was also diagnosed with COVID-19 and later developed bacterial pneumonia. It is unclear whether Eddie had been vaccinated against the virus.

A hospital employee officiated Eddie and Patricia’s second marriage, which was held on Jan. 26. Patricia stayed by Eddie’s side until he died.

“We hope this day was an unforgettable experience for Eddie and Patricia,” Julie Taylor, MountainView’s CEO, said in a press release. “This is proof that love prevails, and that people are stronger together and that there are joyful moments amidst the challenges.”

At least 2,462 people are dying each day from COVID-19 in the United States, down considerably from a peak of 3,400 recorded a year ago but up by 3% from last week. In total, more than 900,000 people have died in the U.S. since the beginning of the pandemic, data from Johns Hopkins University of Medicine showed.

COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations have begun to decline or stabilize nationwide. The number of new infections is now averaging 290,000 each day. The figure is a higher daily total than in any previous COVID-19 waves but is a 61% decrease since the virus peaked less than a month ago, according to federal data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.