Man Proposes to Wife Again Alzheimers

(CNN)One Sabbatum evening last December, every bit Peter and Lisa Marshall cuddled on the burrow watching their favorite television receiver show, Peter looked at Lisa and asked if she would marry him.

What Peter, 56, didn't call back was that they were already married.

Diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer'due south three years ago, Peter had begun losing his memories -- even those of his fairytale romance.

He had forgotten the start time they met, held hands, shared a buss. He had also forgotten their wedding ceremony.

"It's heartbreaking," Lisa, 54, told CNN. "We've made new memories, but it hurts because I always want to say 'Remember that ane time?' I want to reminisce with him, but Peter tin can't retrieve annihilation now, much less what happened 20 years ago."

The couple, who have been married for 12 years, met equally neighbors in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Both were married to other partners at the time and busy raising their children, but they forged a friendship and remained close until Peter'south family moved to Connecticut.

After nearly a year without contact, the two reconnected when they discovered they were each going through divorces. Later merely one rendezvous in Harrisburg, the ii quickly became inseparable and remained in an eight-year, long-distance relationship until all their children entered college.

Lisa described the relationship as a whirlwind romance. When asked what she loves the most well-nigh her husband, she paused, holding back tears.

"The fashion he loves me," she said. "He'southward so kind, so gentle, so flirty and fun and romantic. He'due south e'er been so passionate virtually our relationship. Well-nigh me."

In 2009, Lisa moved to Connecticut and the couple married.

'Something was incorrect'

Lisa said it was easy to come across that something nearly her husband was changing, but coming to terms with their new reality was difficult.

Information technology began when he kept forgetting his keys. Then his wallet. Then he began to forget words and what they meant. At times, he struggled to put together sentences.

She kept telling herself information technology was only because they were getting older.

"It was my little secret to ignore until friends and family members started making comments, too, and and so I knew it was something existent," Lisa said. "People who hadn't seen Peter in a while immediately noticed something was incorrect."

After extensive testing, Peter was diagnosed with Alzheimer's illness on April 30, 2018.

"I didn't understand until I started researching and realized this was going to have a profound impact on our lives, and information technology was going to take my husband," Lisa said.

The disease quickly took over the couple's life. Memories they thought would remain with them for a lifetime quickly disappeared for Peter. I of those cherished memories was his marriage.

The first time he forgot who his wife was they were on a trip to their rental domicile in Rhode Island, a regular getaway when they needed a embankment escape.

"When we were on our way home ane time, Peter was giving me directions and then kept saying things like, 'This is the way to my home. Turn right to get to my house,' as if I was a different driver and I didn't know where we lived," Lisa said.

"When nosotros got home, he ran out to my side and opened my door for me, and walked me into our house and was so nervous showing me effectually," she said. "It was adorable, but I kept waiting for him to snap back into reality, but he never did."

'He fell in dear with me twice'

On December 12, 2020, every bit Peter and Lisa cuddled together watching the Tv series "New Girl," a heartfelt wedding scene made her cry. Peter noticed her tears and began to laugh, earlier pointing to the screen and saying, "Let'southward exercise information technology."

"I was like, 'do what?' And he said, 'Let's become married,' with a huge grin on his face," Lisa said.

"It's going to exist a lot of work," he told her, not realizing that he had just proposed to his married woman.

"Information technology was and so touching to me. He fell in dear with me twice. I feel honored. I feel similar a princess, like Cinderella. I'm the luckiest girl in the world," Lisa said.

Later sending her children a video of the moments after the proposal, they encouraged the couple to honor their indelible love by renewing their nuptials vows. Despite some hesitancy, Lisa agreed. She didn't want to miss the opportunity to create some other beautiful memory with her husband.

Lisa's daughter, an result planner, reached out to vendors who were besides family friends. They agreed to donate their services for the ceremony.

On April 26, Peter and Lisa found themselves back at the altar. With the help of a dementia specialist, who also officiated the anniversary, the two shared simple vows.

"I went into it with no expectations, the affliction is and then unpredictable. I yet got butterflies getting my brand upward done and putting my dress on. Every moment was more magical than the next," Lisa said.

"Peter was bright and nowadays the whole day. He was simply so happy. During the vows, he just told me, 'Lisa, I love you.' And that's all I needed," she said.

Lisa knew that at any moment during the ceremony her husband could forget who she is again. But that was the least of her worries.

"I'chiliad his favorite person," she said. "I don't need a characterization, like a wife, or nicknames he used to call me. Our hearts are connected in a fashion that all I need is for him to experience safe, and he does. And he loves me, and I love him, so that's all that matters."

For now, Lisa, who runs a web log to assist other caregivers of people living with Alzheimer's, is focused on Peter. Every bit the illness progresses, now causing hallucinations, paranoia and extreme memory loss, she is facing their reality one day at a fourth dimension.

No matter what happens -- whether he stays at home or moves into a memory care facility -- Peter is hers and she is his.

"We will exist together until the end," Lisa said. "Cipher tin have united states of america apart. Nix."

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Source: https://www.cnn.com/2021/06/26/us/alzheimers-couple-married-twice-trnd/index.html

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