An elderly Indiana couple recently shared an emotional reunion after the coronavirus outbreak kept them apart for more than a month, FOX 59 reported.
Don and Joyce Hoffman have been married for 67 years, and when Joyce tested positive for the virus back in May, the pair suddenly found themselves inexplicably separated for the first time since saying “I do.”
Joyce and Don have been enjoying their retirement together at the Hooverwood Living retirement community in Indianapolis.
Married on July 13, 1952, the happy couple now share two children and four grandchildren together.
But their blissful love story would soon take an unexpected, heartbreaking turn with the outbreak of the novel coronavirus in the U.S.
On May 1, 90-year-old Joyce was placed into the COVID-19 unit at the facility after she was found to have been infected by the disease.
In an effort to keep both her and her husband safe, Don, also 90, was strictly prohibited from visiting his wife, and for the next 5 weeks the pair would be kept apart while Joyce battled the deadly virus on her own.
It was the first time in their entire marriage they had ever been apart for so long.
Finally, on June 11, Joyce was declared virus-free and was giving the green light to leave the COVID-19 unit for good.
She emerged from the room she’d been locked in for the last 5 weeks to the sound of the appropriate song, “Celebration” with balloons tied to her walker and a sign reading, “COVID-19 Survivor” taped to the front.
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Of course, the first person waiting outside for her was her husband Don, armed with a bouquet of flowers and ready to finally be with his wife again.
Staff at Hooverwood Living gathered round to witness their emotional reunion, which was all captured on video as well.
As the couples’ wheelchairs are wheeled towards each other, Don appears to be at a loss for words and can only exclaim, “Oh, all right. All right, all right, oh, honey!” at the sight of his wife.
Staff applaud and cheer for the couple, and you better grab the tissues because once they’re finally face-to-face again, things get even *more* emotional.
“I have to cry from happiness. I have to cry!” Don says, giving his wife a kiss on her hand after the two embrace each other. “You look so wonderful! You look so beautiful!”
In response, his equally-delighted wife exclaims, “How can you be so cute?”
Hooverwood Living worker Brittany Scheidt said the staff had planned their reunion to be a huge surprise.
“After every resident ‘graduates’ from our COVID unit, all of our staff gather to celebrate and have a parade for them,” she told FOX 59 . “This celebration was incredibly special because we planned a surprise reunion for Joyce and Don—he didn’t know she was coming back yesterday.”
Scheidt confirmed that the 5-week separation had been “extremely hard” on the couple.
But, she continued, their heartwarming reunion is certainly one that staff at the facility won’t soon forget.
“There wasn’t a dry eye in the building yesterday,” she recalled. “It was a special moment that we will all remember forever at Hooverwood.”
h/t: FOX 59 , Instagram | @hooverwoodliving , Pictures: YouTube | ABC News
