They say that marriage kills the romance in a relationship, but sometimes this is far from the truth. In fact, there are lucky couples that have been together for decades and when you look at them you’re kind of jealous of their affection towards each other.
Like Walter and Jean Willard, who have been married for seventy years and are still crazy in love with each other. Actually, they can’t even think of what their lives would be like if their better half was not there.
The elderly couple, Jean, 89 years old, and Walter, 91, got married when they were still teens, Jean wasn’t even twenty! But they knew they were meant to be together and that their love would last forever.
Indeed, after so many years they had never quite left each other’s side, until the coronavirus pandemic broke out and they were forced to stay away from each other for the longest time they’ve ever been apart.
As the couple’s daughters, Wendy and Wanda, explained, their parents had always been in good health until last year, when Jean fell and broke her pelvis. This resulted in her being admitted to the Eddy Memorial Geriatric Center in Troy, where doctors informed her family that she showed early signs of dementia.
Her caring husband was there by her side, in the beginning spending the whole day with her, leaving only when it was bedtime, and then gradually spending a little less time at the nursing home, yet still dedicating most part of his day to his beloved wife. The fact that the nursing home was really close to their house helped as well.
But then, the pandemic happened and everything changed for the two spouses.
Due to the lockdown, Jean was not allowed any visitors, including Walter. This devastated both of them, who were separated for the first time after they got married.
“Then the virus happened and he couldn’t go anymore, and he went downhill so quickly when he couldn’t see her,” Wendy told CBS.
To make matters worse, Walter fell and suffered a brain injury, which meant he had to have surgery and go to rehab. At that point, it sounded reasonable that he should be transferred to the nursing home where his wife was, but things weren’t so simple anymore.
“The admissions person said ‘we have COVID cases, we can’t let any one in,'” was the official reply that the family received from the nursing home.
However, as the two sisters were watching their dad’s health deteriorate and knowing that their mom cried and asked to see him, they wrote a letter to the facility’s director, who eventually had a change of heart.
The director called the couple’s daughter and said he was willing to make an exception for the man, as according to his daughters, he was willing to take the risk and move in the nursing home even under the circumstances.
“I told him what we were afraid of, we’re afraid we’re going to lose one of them and they’re never going to have seen each other again, and I asked ‘is there anything you can do? We’re willing to take the risk, my dad is willing to take the risk.'” Wendy said. “He immediately called me and said absolutely we want to do this for you!”
Soon the couple was reunited with the staff capturing on camera their sweet reaction when they saw each other again, and sending them to their family. They now share a room at the nursing home and they’re happy as ever.
It is so inspiring to see such couples who are still in love after all these years! We are wishing them all the best!
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