Diagnosed with Alzheimer's three years ago, Peter gradually lost his memories, including the most beautiful memories of his and his wife's love. He forgot when he met Lisa, forgot the shy hand holding, the passionate kisses and he also forgot they were ever married.
“I was heartbroken,” Lisa sighed. “We made new memories together, but I also felt sad every time I asked him, ‘Do you remember that time?’ I wanted to reminisce with Peter about the early days, but he couldn’t remember anything.”
Beautiful memories together
Before they met, Peter and Lisa were neighbors in Pennsylvania (USA), both of whom had their own families. They maintained a close friendship until Peter's family moved to Connecticut, after which they lost contact for about a year.
Peter and Lisa met again when they were both going through divorces. After just one date in Harrisburg, they realized they couldn't stay away from each other. They maintained their relationship for eight years until their children went to college.
When asked what she loves most about her husband, Lisa choked up, trying to hold back her tears: "It's the way he loves me. Peter is kind, gentle, skillful, cheerful and also very romantic. He always gives me all the best and always cherishes this relationship, cherishes me."
In 2009, Lisa moved to Connecticut and married Peter.
And then the incident happened...
After a long time living with Peter, Lisa said she easily recognized the changes in her husband, but facing that reality was too difficult.
It all started when Peter kept forgetting his keys and wallet. It got worse as he started forgetting words and their meanings. Sometimes Peter had to struggle to form complete sentences. Lisa could only reassure herself that this was normal as they both got older.
“I kept it as my little secret and tried to ignore it until family and friends started mentioning it. I realized something was wrong,” Lisa shared. “People who hadn’t seen Peter for a long time noticed the changes in him.”
After doing the necessary tests, Peter was diagnosed with Alzheimer's syndrome on April 30, 2018. "At first, I didn't understand what it was until I learned and knew that this disease would greatly affect our lives, even... it could take him away."
As expected, the disease quickly took away the couple's happy life. The precious memories that they thought would last the rest of their lives gradually disappeared from Peter's mind. And one of the biggest regrets was that he forgot about his marriage.
The first time Peter forgot who his wife was was when they were traveling in Rhode Island. "On the way back, Peter kept saying things like, 'This is the way to my house. Turn right and you're home,' as if I were some strange driver," Lisa recalled.
"When we got there, he ran into the house, opened the door for me, and showed me around the house, looking very excited," Lisa recalled. "He was so cute, I kept waiting for him to come back to reality, but the truth is, he never came back."
"I am the luckiest woman in the world"
Lisa still remembers exactly on December 12, 2020, when the two of them were lying on the couch together, watching the TV series “New Girl”, the wedding scene in the movie made her emotional and burst into tears. Peter immediately recognized it, he smiled sincerely and said to her: “Let’s do the same”.
Lisa recalled: "I was like 'what?' And he said 'let's get married' with a big smile."
"There's a lot to worry about," Peter said with a laugh, not realizing he was proposing to his own wife.
"I was so touched. He proposed to me again. I felt like a princess, like Cinderella. I must be the luckiest girl in the world" - Lisa beamed.
Lisa filmed the moment Peter proposed to her and sent it to her children. They were all very happy and supported her parents to hold the wedding again. Although she was a bit hesitant, she still agreed, she did not want to miss the opportunity to create another beautiful memory with her husband. Lisa's daughter contacted everywhere to organize the wedding for her parents. They agreed to sponsor this meaningful wedding without charging any fees.
only love remains
And then the day came. On April 26, Peter and Lisa walked down the aisle once again. With the help of a dementia specialist who also officiated the ceremony, they exchanged their vows.
"I went to the wedding without thinking much. This disease is really unpredictable. When I put on makeup and put on my wedding dress, I was a little nervous. But the moments after that were magical," Lisa happily recalled. "Peter appeared radiant and happy all day. He was very happy. When we exchanged vows, he only said one sentence: 'Lisa, I love you'. For me, that was enough."
She knew that at any moment during the ceremony, Peter could forget who she was. But Lisa believed that as long as their hearts were connected, nothing could stop their love for each other for the rest of their lives.
"I am the one he loves the most. I don't need any title, be it wife or any name he gives me. Our souls are connected, and I just need him to feel safe. He loves me, I love him too, that's enough."
"Our souls are connected. He loves me, I love him, and that's enough."
Lisa now writes a blog to share information with those living with Alzheimer’s, and her blog is mainly about Peter. As the disease worsened, it caused him to hallucinate, panic, and suffer severe memory loss. Day by day, she had to face that difficult reality.
But whatever happens,"we will be together until the very end. nothing can separate us. nothing can…"
