An old married couple that had been together for 67 years had to split up
because of things that were out of their control. They thought they would
never see each other again, but fate had something else in mind.
This touching story is about Harry and Doreen Wilsden, who got married in
1953. Doreen was only 16 when she met Harry when he was still a young man.
A few years later, they got married. Doreen was a school nurse in Darlington,
England, while Harry worked at different places.
Doreen and Harry stuck together through hard times, just like most couples do.
They had two daughters, Christine and Ann, and got to play with their
granddaughter, Laura, many years later.
The parents did their best to raise their daughters and made sure they had
everything they needed. Harry told them a lot about what he did at work.
His favorite story was about when he was a firefighter on a train that had
stopped in the snow.
Christine and Ann’s parents had always lived together and helped each other out.
They had no idea that fate would put them in a place where they would have
to stay apart.
During their more than six-decade marriage, a lot has changed in the world.
They grew up when there was no internet, and they saw how smartphones and global
connectivity changed everything many years later.
They didn’t know if fate would bring them back together.
The couple saw how the recent pandemic has changed people’s lives in so many
ways, just like everyone else. People who work outside the home got a taste of
what it’s like to work from home, and people had to cancel family gatherings
because the virus could kill them.
Millions of people’s lives were changed by the global pandemic, but a few people
still didn’t get the virus. Harry, however, was not one of them. He was 91 when
he was found to have HIV.
Before the couple was given a diagnosis, their family decided to put them in the
Grange Care Home in Darlington, England. The couple’s family thought they were
too old to take care of each other.
Before the scary diagnosis came, everything was going as planned. Harry had to
live alone because he got the virus. No one saw this coming, but he couldn’t
stay with his wife or family.
Doreen didn’t go to the nursing home with her husband. Instead, she went alone
while he was in the hospital. People around the couple thought at the time that
they would never see each other again because of all the rules that the pandemic brought.
After being together for so long, Doreen and Harry found it hard to live apart.
They didn’t know if fate would bring them back together.
Harry didn’t give up or lose hope. Instead, he stayed hopeful and was determined
to see his wife again. He learned how much Doreen meant to him while he was alone
in the hospital. Their friendship had been going on for decades, but it was still
strong enough to help Harry get better from a disease that could have killed him.
Once the doctors said Harry could be with his family again, he went straight to
Grange care home to surprise Doreen. The 87-year-old woman had no idea that the
love of her life would show up that day.
It’s so touching to see how happy they are to be together. After about two months,
Doreen was surprised to see Harry. She couldn’t believe that he was sitting right
in front of her when she looked at his face.
Harry tried hard not to cry as his wife tried to figure out who he was.
She climbed onto his lap.
The story of Doreen and Harry is very moving. It shows how strong real love can be.
Harry was able to get better and find his wife again because he wanted to see her.
