101-year-old WWII vet, daughter beat coronavirus together at Maryland nursing home

A 101-year-old World War II veteran and his 73-year-old daughter — who live at the same Maryland nursing home — were able to celebrate Memorial Day Weekend together after both beating the coronavirus, The Post has learned.

Charles Barbier and his daughter Kathryn Dean were reunited on Friday after spending weeks in isolation at the Westminster Healthcare Center’s COVID-19 ward, said Lisa McLaurin, a nurse at the facility, about 35 miles from Baltimore.

The father and daughter, who are originally from Louisiana, fell ill in late April. Dean said “it’s a blessing from God” that they both survived.

“My dad is 101 so that’s a big accomplishment,” she told The Post. “He survived a war, the depression and now this. He’s an amazing guy.”

Since other family members aren’t able to visit amid the pandemic, Dean said she was grateful to be reunited with her dad on Friday to celebrate Memorial Day and their recovery.

“I’ve been wanting to see him for a while because I miss him and we can’t have family here. It’s difficult not being able to see the family,” she said.

Under normal circumstances, Dean would take her dad — a U.S. Army Air Corps vet who was stationed in England — out to eat to celebrate the holiday.

Though her father never shared many war stories, “the military has always been very important to us [and] we are much appreciative of what the military does to protect us,” Dean said.

Dean, who suffers from a rare kidney disease that requires dialysis three times a week, said she was hit harder by the virus than her centenarian father.

“It was horrible. I feel sorry for anybody who gets it,” she said. She experienced a high fever, shortness of breath and had no appetite for about five days, “but it seemed a lot longer.”

“It leaves you very weak,” Dean said, adding that she’s doing physical therapy to help regain muscle she lost while being bed-ridden.

Her dad fared better, though due to his advanced age he wasn’t fully aware of what having the virus meant, Dean said.

“He doesn’t understand too well but he did great,” she said. “They took very good care of us and we survived.”

There have been at least 65 cases of COVID-19 among residents at the nursing home, and 10 deaths, according to the Carroll County health department.

McLaurin said some 58 residents who tested positive have recovered and will be moving out of the center’s coronavirus ward.

The facility, which is home to two other veterans, is also planning on hosting a cookout for residents on Monday in celebration.