Wife with Multiple Sclerosis Gets Surprise of a Lifetime
Suffering from a chronic disabling disease shouldn't get in the way of love. Though things might get a little bit more challenging, love is love. There was romance in the air for Laura on her 10 year anniversary. Little did she know that her husband had put a lot of time and effort into making the perfect surprise for her!
Laura was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis at a young age, and life wasn't easy since then
It wasn't easy for Laura. At the young age of 18, she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Having a progressively disabling disease such as multiple sclerosis was news that changed her life. She was still so young and had a hard time wrapping her head around what this all meant. At the time, she didn't have any symptoms of the disease, and so she lived her life just like most other young women her age.
Despite living with multiple sclerosis, Laura fell in love at a young age
Dating is always different when you have a chronic disease. But for Laura, she got really lucky meeting Carl. Carl and Laura met three years after her diagnosis.
For most of Laura's working life, she was doing quite well despite her diagnosis. She only had a few relapses where she actually exhibited some symptoms. But for the most part, the couple lived a relatively normal and happy life.
After their honeymoon, things started to take a turn
But working life didn't last too long. Soon after they returned from their honeymoon in Florida, she suffered from another relapse. This one was different. She couldn't recover as quickly. After a few months of marriage, Laura found herself so debilitated that she needed a wheelchair. She had to stop working.
When her body failed her, love did not
Despite her rapid decline, her marriage was rock steady. Now, celebrating their 10-year anniversary, Laura and Carl are more in love than ever. They never gave up on each other, and they fight back together every step of the way.
Carl had big plans for their 10-year anniversary
Carl had recruited his old friend to help him. This friend is Stephanie Carr, who is a former classmate who is now working at the Liverpool Media Academy as the director of musical theatre. Carl had run into Stephanie at the mall the previous winter and told her how much Laura loves musical theatre.
As they chatted, Carl also shared that Laura loved to watch flash mob videos online. He then realized he could surprise Laura with her very own flash mob performance. As he got more excited, he picked out a song and had Stephanie help him with the logistics of his master plan.
Luckily for Carl, their friend had some tricks up her sleeve
Stephanie had this covered. She asked her students if they were up to the task. And guess what, they were thrilled to help with this special surprise. She got 30 of her talented students to gather for two rehearsals, and soon they were already ready for the big performance.
The dance troupe got together at the mall at Liverpool ONE on a busy Saturday as they waited for Carl and Laura to arrive. As they approached, Laura was more than dumbfounded as a student member handed her a rose before suddenly bursting into song.
The song that Carl picked out was "Just the Way You Are", by Bruno Mars. It was the performance of a lifetime, and so meaningful in a million different ways. It was the perfect way for Carl to show Laura just how much he loved her. It was so romantic!
As the students serenaded the couple, a crowd gathered to witness this special event. Near the end of this tear-jerking performance, Carl kneeled beside Laura's wheelchair and embraced her as they shared a kiss.
Carl just wanted Laura to understand just how much she meant to him. He wanted her to see that she made him feel wonderful every day, despite everything that had happened to her that was out of her control. He feels so special to be with her, and she wanted to feel that way too.
Stephanie was in tears too. She was so proud to have been able to help such a wonderful couple with a gesture like this. She cried the entire performance and watching Laura's reaction was simply so special.
Everything was caught on video, so Laura could watch this special moment in the future
Luckily for everyone, the special moments were all caught on film too. Alex Carr, a local filmmaker, videotaped everything with the help of his friend, Milo McAleny. They were able to capture the surprised reaction of Laura when she realized what her husband had done for her. It was moving to see just how special this moment was for her.
As Carl reflected on the whole experience, he recounted how overwhelmed Laura looked at first. But as she watched on, you could tell she was incredibly moved by her husband's gesture. She's been replaying the video over and over ever since. Carl is so happy that Laura enjoyed his flash mob for her so much, and he's sure glad he caught it all on tape for her too!
Laura has a special surprise for her loving husband too
It wasn't all about Laura either. Laura also surprised her husband with a personal touch of her own. She wrote an anniversary card for him by hand, which takes a ton of time and effort on her part. Having multiple sclerosis makes it hard to do anything by hand, and getting a heartfelt, handwritten love note from his wife meant the world to Carl. For Carl, his beloved wife is not only the love of his life but also his biggest hero too.
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