Former Coral Springs Couple Survived Coronavirus Together

CORAL SPRINGS, FL – Samantha and Craig Hirsh have known each other since they were 13 and attended Ramblewood Middle School in Coral Springs.

They’ve stayed together through high school and college graduations, marriage, buying their first home, the birth of their two children, and many other important milestones.

This week, though, they shared an experience they never expected: surviving the coronavirus (COVID-19).

The Hirshs, who now live in Boynton Beach, have seen their lives turned inside out in recent weeks as Craig became infected with the coronavirus and suffered from some of its most ominous symptoms.

On Tuesday, Samantha, 41, declared to her Facebook friends that Craig, 40, was symptom-free, and she and the children, Bayla, 13, and Treyson, 11, welcomed him back with “big hugs and tons of kisses.”

She chronicled Craig’s 15 days or so bout with the coronavirus on social media. One of her posts – a day-to-day account of his ordeal – was widely shared and generated local media interest. She published her account in the Palm Beach Post.

Samantha said she is nervous the coronavirus could still lurk in their house, despite persistent cleaning and disinfecting. Or worse, she worries it could have also infected her and the children, and they just don’t know it yet. She and her son have respiratory conditions.

For now, she’s glad Craig is better, and she can finally return to sleeping normally in her bedroom after three agonizing weeks.

The couple suspects Craig picked up the coronavirus while in Denver on a skiing trip in mid-March, just as stern warnings about the outbreak were coming out. When he got home, he started having headaches, night sweats, diarrhea, and terrible coughing. Then, he suffered muscle spasms and pain in his chest, lower back, and legs.

Days later, a test confirmed Craig was positive for the coronavirus, but, by then, Samantha was convinced he had pneumonia. She called doctors she knew and tried home remedies she learned on YouTube.

During the time, she kept the children away from Craig and found comfort in their families who still live in Coral Springs. Some friends dropped off meals at their door, others did grocery runs at stores.

Eventually, Craig started feeling better.

In her social media post, Samantha called the coronavirus “sneaky” and explained Craig could have “very easily gone in another direction.”

Samantha remains grateful to her immediate friends and family, but also to all the people who reached out to her over social media to wish her well and offer prayers, support, and advice.

“In times like these, family, friends and complete strangers really showed up,” she wrote in her posts.