Exclusive: Elderly South Jersey Couple Overcomes Coronavirus

Joe Holden reports.

BEEN EVACUATE TODAY HEALTHFACILITIES IN PENNSYLVANIANMARYLAND.NOW, CBS EXCLUSIVE.STORY OF SURVIVAL, FOR SOUTHJERSEY COUPLE.JOE HOLDEN TELLS WORKINGAGAINST THEM IN THEIR FIGHTAGAINST COVID-19.MARRIED ZERO SIX YEARSTHIS DECEMBER, JOANNE ANDMICKEY MALONEY LEAD SIMPLELIFE ACCORDING TO THEIRCHILDREN.THEY LOVE THEIR GRANDCHILDREN,FAMILY GET TOGETHER, THEOCCASIONAL CARDS GAMES ANDTHEIR FATE.JOANNE AT 78, HER HUSBAND,MICKEY AT 81, HAVE SPENT THEENTIRE MONTH OF APRIL IN THEJEFFERSON WASHINGTON TOWNSHIPHOSPITAL.THEIR SON ANTHONY MALONEYEMERGENCY ROOM NURSE FROMNORTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA,DESCRIBED THE LAST TWO WEEKSEMOTIONAL ROLLER COASTER RIDE.THE PROGNOSIS WAS POOR FORTHE BOTH OF THEM.I ANTICIPATED I WAS GOING TOLOSE BOTH OF MY PARENTS.YOU KNOW, AND IT WAS JUSTSOMETHING THAT I COULD NOTWRAP MY HEAD AROUND.THE COUPLE AND OTHERRELATIVES ALL TESTED POSITIVEFOR COVID-19.JOANNE MALONEY'S CONDITIONDETERIORATED RAPIDLY, WITHPRE-EXISTING LUNG CONDITION,BOTH SHE AND HER HUSBAND WEREPLACED ON VENTILATORS.IN THE BACK OF MY MIND, IKNOW THE STATISTICS.I MEAN, I KNOW, THAT YOU KNOW,MOST ELDERLY PEOPLE, OR A LOTOF THEM, THEY DON'T MAKE ITOFFER THE VENTILATOR.MARINE MALONEY SAID THESITUATION WAS UNIMAGINABLE.THE NEWS CONTINUED TO WORSEN.AND THE FAMILY WAS PREPARINGTO SAY GOOD-BYE TO ITSMATRIARCH.MY MOTHER-IN-LAW,SIGNIFICANT COMPLICATIONS,WITH KIDNEY FUNCTION, AND, YOUKNOW, LIKE WE WERE ALL GEAREDUP --BUT STAFF WORKED TIRELESSLY, SOLVINGCOMPLICATED PUZZLE, JOANNE'SORGANS WERE FAILING, DIE RHETTBEING ADMINISTERED SOME TENDAYS AGO GENTLY JUMP STARTEDHER KIDNEYS W HER HUSBANDALREADY MAKING A TURN AROUNDTOWARD RECOVERY.SHE WAS IMPROVING, DAILY.THE FAMILY SAYS THEY PRAYEDCONSIDERABLY.BOTH MICKEY AND JOANNE WEREEVENTUALLY SUCCESSFULLYREMOVED FROM THEIR VENTILATORSEVEN TO THE SURPRISE OF FAMILYOH, YA, YOUR MOTHER CAMEOFF THE EVENT YESTERDAY.SHE IS DOING WONDERFUL.I WAS LIKE YOU GOT TO BEKIDDING ME.POTENTIAL AFTER GENERATIONIN OUR FAMILY COULD HAVE BEENLOST JUST HIT LIKE A TON EVERY