At 95 years old, Marion Ferdinand Hess, Sr., has lived a life that has defied the odds.

He survived a premature birth, fighting in World War II, and two deadly hurricanes in his hometown of New Orleans.

He has been married to his wife, Jean, for 75 years.

And he is in the 10% of men over 90 years old who do not have prostate cancer.

Now, Marion attributes his longevity to the vitamins he and his wife started taking for prevention over 25 years ago.

The Early Years

At age 17, Marion enlisted in the army to fight in World War II. He was immediately deployed to Germany, where he landed under fire, and he served under General Patton until the end of the war.

Soon after returning home from the war, Hess met his future wife, Jean Catherine Meliet.

On September 20, 1947, Marion and Jean tied the knot just one day after one of the deadliest hurricanes to hit the gulf coast slammed into New Orleans, a category 2 hurricane with sustained winds of 110 mph.

Fifty-eight years before the infamous Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane George breached the 17^th Street Canal, flooding buildings, causing massive power outages, and leaving standing water for weeks.

But Marion and Jean refused to cancel their wedding, and they were married the following night.

“There was no electricity,” recalled Jean, “so my mother placed lanterns around the church for lighting. She also hired a band for dancing and entertainment, and she placed lanterns all around the reception hall. From that day on, my mother treated Marion like her son.”

Overcoming Family Medical History

Marion and Jean did not have an encouraging family medical history. Many of their family members had passed away at a young age from conditions like cancer, heart attack, and stroke.

It appeared as if Jean might follow in their footsteps.

In 2005, at the age of 76, Jean was diagnosed with type II diabetes. She was overweight, and her hemoglobin A1C level was over 6.6.

That’s when their daughter, Melissa Hess, stepped in and took Jean to see Dr. Samuel Andrews, an endocrinologist in New Orleans and author of the well-known diet book, Sugar Busters.

Dr. Andrews told Jean that the only way to control her diabetes was to lose weight. Melissa took it a step further and told Dr. Andrews that her mother would not only lose the weight but would reverse her diabetes.

Jean lost 40 pounds in one year, changed her diet, and at her daughter’s recommendation, she started taking targeted supplements for diabetes and glucose control from Life Extension.

Before long, her Hemoglobin A1c level dropped down to below 6.0.

Jean said, “After taking these supplements for quite a while—and losing weight—I went back to see Dr. Andrews. He said, ‘Mrs. Hess, I’m proud to say that you’re not a diabetic anymore.’ I couldn’t believe it!”

Their Life Extension Journey

Since 1996, Marion and Jean have taken Life Extension® supplements every day as part of their personal prevention protocol.

They had learned that in order to maintain their cognitive function and prevent conditions like cancer and heart disease, they had to take action long before those conditions arose.

They now believe their efforts have paid off.

“I attribute my longevity to my vitamins,” said Jean.

Between the two of them, Marion and Jean take over 50 supplements every day, and they get their blood tested every other month to stay on top of any health problems that might arise.

The blood tests continue to show that Marion’s bloodwork looks more like a 30-year-old than a 95-year-old. Marion has very little gray hair and looks younger than his age, which he attributes to his daily supplements.

In addition, a recent biopsy revealed that Marion is free of prostate cancer, a claim only 10% of men in their 90s can make.

Even their dog, Lucki, a Hurricane Katrina survivor that was rescued from a rooftop in a flooded area of New Orleans, is given supplements and remains spry at 18 years old.

Every day, Lucki is given a multivitamin, vitamin C, carnitine, taurine, ubiquinol, ginkgo biloba, collagen, calcium, vitamin D, probiotics, lutein, and many more.

“It’s all about prevention,” said daughter Melissa. “You have to start many years ahead of time to prevent dementia, heart diseases, autoimmune conditions, and cancers.”

Words of Wisdom

Through decades and wars, natural disasters and pandemics, Marion and Jean have defied the odds in life, in health, and also in their relationship.

In September of 2022, they celebrated 75 years of marriage, and together they have three children, three grandchildren, and four great grandchildren.

Jean says that their secret to staying together is that “You have to agree with each other, enjoy each other, and never go to bed mad at night. Always keep a smile on your face.”

No doubt Marion has been instrumental in keeping everyone smiling.

When his doctors ask him why he’s taking so many vitamins and supplements, he gets a twinkle in his eyes and responds, “My daughter wants me to die healthy.”

If you have any questions on the scientific content of this article, please call a Life Extension Wellness Specialist at 1-866-864-3027.