A Texas man has recently gone viral after he was pictured sitting outside his wife’s hospital window with a sign letting her know that even if he can’t physically be by her side, he’s certainly still there for her.
As Good Morning America reported, father-of-three Albert Conner wasn’t going to let hospital restrictions stop him from giving his wife some much-needed support while she underwent her chemotherapy treatment alone.
Information about the coronavirus pandemic is rapidly changing and Diply is committed to providing the most recent data as it becomes available. Some of the information in this story may have changed since publication, and we encourage readers to use online resources from CDC and WHO to stay up to date on the latest information surrounding COVID-19.
Albert, 44, has accompanied his wife, Kelly, to every single one of her treatments since she was first diagnosed with breast cancer in January.
However, the ongoing coronavirus pandemic has forced hospitals to take precautionary measures in an effort to limit the spread, which means when it came time for 40-year-old Kelly’s most recent round of chemo, Albert wasn’t allowed to join his immunocompromised wife inside MD Anderson Cancer Center.
As he told GMA , “I didn’t feel right not being a part of it because I had promised her that I would be there every step of the way and I felt like I would be breaking my word.”
Although he wasn’t allowed to step foot inside the hospital, Albert was determined to still show his wife that he supports her.
After getting his hands on some poster board and enlisting the help of his children to color in the lettering, Albert stationed himself outside of Kelly’s hospital window with a sign reading, “I can’t be with you but I’m here. Love you. Thank you to all staff!”
All that was left now was to get his unsuspecting wife’s attention.
Kelly, who had driven herself to her treatment that day, was surprised to get a text from her husband telling her to look outside.
“As soon as he texted me, I just kind of lifted up in my chair a little bit to peer out the window and he was just right there,” she told GMA. “It immediately brought tears to my eyes and I felt a love for him right then in that moment, that he would do that for me.”
She continued, “I think I kind of gasped and the nurse turned around and said, ‘What’s wrong?’ And then she saw I was looking out the window and she looked out and started to tear up too.”
Albert’s sign got more than just Kelly’s attention, as many nurses came out to personally thank him for the heartwarming message.
“A few of them said I was the reason that they come to work,” he recalled. “The attention made me uncomfortable but it made me feel good and was very touching.”
Kelly posted a photo of her devoted husband and his homemade sign on Facebook where it quickly went viral.
“No visitors allowed for chemo due to the virus but that didn’t stop Albert L. Conner,” she captioned the touching post . “Thank you for all your continued love and support.”
Since it was uploaded at the end of March, the photo has been shared nearly 500 times and has hundreds of comments from users who were moved by Albert’s sweet gesture for his wife.
“Sweetest thing I’ve seen lately,” one person wrote, while another added, “Brought me to tears, I love this so much.”
Albert said he and Kelly were both initially upset by the hospital’s restrictions, but understands that they’re necessary.
“When you just reflect on everything and think about all the nurses and doctors and other patients, it makes perfect sense,” he explained. “You really can’t argue it. You just have to support it any way you can.”
RELATED STORIES
Kelly added, “This [coronavirus pandemic] is inspiring people to come up with creative ways to continue to show their love and support for family.”
Kelly will continue chemo until the end of May, at which point she’s expected to undergo surgery and radiation therapy.
Although the entire Conner family hopes they’ll be there when she’s finally able to ring the hospital bell signalling the end of her treatments, Albert says he’s got a backup plan; if he’s not allowed inside, he’ll simply ring a bell outside the hospital for her.
