103-year-old Mass. woman beats COVID-19 and celebrates with a beer inside her nursing home

WILBRAHAM, Mass. — She went from the coronavirus to cracking a cold one.

“We were just stunned. When I sent it to my sister her jaw hit the floor and we said of course, just of course,” said Dave Stejna.

Stejna’s 103-year-old grandmother, Jennie Stejna, beat COVID-19. Three weeks ago she was the first person in her Western Massachusetts nursing home to test positive for the virus. At one point the family was even told Jennie likely wouldn’t make it and they should prepare to say goodbye.

“The next day I get a call and in her typical way she said, I’m not sick get out. She basically said, get out of my room. We said, my gosh, she’s back and then she started to trend upward. I’m stunned. Absolutely stunned," Stejna said.

Jennie overcame long odds and recovered. The staff at the Life Care Center in Wilbraham asked how she'd like to celebrate. Jennie said she wanted a Bud Light. Bud Light even tweeted out saying, “your next beer is on us, Jennie.”

Dave Stejna said his grandmother used to love having a beer while listening to her beloved Red Sox on the radio.

“When this happened we were just like I can’t even believe this. But just the fact of the picture of her having the beer graduating from the unit and beat it you couldn’t plan this. You really couldn’t have planned it,” he said.

Jennie has lived in Massachusetts her entire life and was married to her husband, Theodore, for 54 years until he died in 1992. They had two children, three grandchildren, and several great-grandchildren. When she was asked if she’s ready to go to heaven Jennie said, “hell yes.”

But for now, heaven can wait.

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RESOURCES:

- Massachusetts Coronavirus Information

- Boston Coronavirus Information

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