An elderly couple who were separated for more than a month due to the pandemic were reunited this week – and the moment will leave you in tears.
Betty Meredith, 91, surprised her husband, Kenneth, 96, by showing up at his care home and revealing she’d moved in because she “can’t live without him”.
The emotional reunion, caught on camera, shows Kenneth walking through the door with his zimmer-frame, then breaking down in tears at the sight of his wife.
He rushes over to Betty, who is sitting at a table set up for a makeshift date night and decorated with heart shaped balloons and roses. With The Platters’ 1954 hit, Only You, playing in the background, the couple share a long hug.
The pair were heartbroken after Kenneth moved into Bourn View Care Home, Birmingham, five weeks ago due to his worsening Alzheimer’s. Due to strict Covid rules, he couldn’t see wife Betty, who he has been with for 76 years.
With no sign of restrictions changing, lonely Betty asked if she could be moved into the care home because she could no longer be apart from her husband.
Unbeknown to Kenneth, Betty had moved into the floor below as she waited for her Covid-19 test results, but continued to phone him for their daily chats.
Once her results came back negative, Betty and staff helped arrange the surprise for Kenneth on November 10.
Care worker Rosie Boshell, 24, who helped decorate and set up the surprise, said: “They couldn’t cope without each other any longer. Kenneth was emotional everyday and missed her so much. He would cry daily to us.”
She added that Kenneth was “over the moon” when he heard the news and after their date, Betty took Ken to show him their new room.
“Every time I went to see them they were just smiling. They’re just too happy,” she added.
The couple’s great granddaughter Charlotte shared the heartwarming video on social media earlier this week.
She tweeted: “My grandad went into a care home five weeks ago and my nan couldn’t live without him so she decided to move in and the care home did this for them my actual heart.”
Care worker Rosie added: “Honestly the job is amazing. We aren’t a care home we are a family and would do anything for our family staff and residents.
“There was not one dry eye as the staff cheered and celebrated the wonderful couple’s reunion. They’ve been married 71 years, together for 76 and have never had an argument. Talk about couple goals!”