Boxer Maurice 'Termite' Watkins reflects on surviving COVID-19
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A Houston boxing legend and his wife have been fighting the fight of their lives for the past 12 months.
Maurice Watkins, better known as Termite, a former professional boxer and Houston legend, contracted COVID-19 a year ago.
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"It's hard to believe it's been a whole year," his wife Cindy said. "It's been a whole year, but I remember all the details still. It was the fight of his life and it was the fight of my life to pray him through it."
Watkins was in the hospital for a month. He said he remembers calling his wife from the hospital to tell her he was about to go on a ventilator.
"I remember going there and calling her," Watkins said. "And I thought it was going to be the last time I talked to her."
As the great fighter that he is, Watkins battled the disease that has killed thousands, including some his close friends.
"It's almost like you're being covered up with something and you're gasping for air," he described about having the virus.
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After being discharged from the hospital, Watkins lost his job. Shortly after, his mother died.
Eleven months after Watkins contracted the virus, Cindy got sick with COVID-19.
"He almost died," Cindy said of her husband. "He was on the vent for 18 days and in the hospital for 30. So I was worried. I didn't want to get it that bad."
They said their faith and love for one another saw them through this.
"We've learned from it," Cindy said. "We appreciate things much better, and we're so grateful."
"I'm excited to wake up in the mornings," Termite said. "I wish everybody could have this feeling."
