This hospital patient fell in love while waiting for a new heart

Nebraska Medicine / Twitter

Few people can say they found The One while suffering from heart failure. But as unlikely as it is, that’s exactly what happened between Bill, 56, and Debbie, 58. It began in 2014, when Bill took his first of four visits to Nebraska Medicine and met the love of his life, Debbie, a patient care technician who assists people recovering from surgeries.

Bill wasn’t in good condition. The doctors couldn’t pinpoint exactly why his heart had failed, yet it was clearly getting weaker and weaker. In efforts to keep the blood circulating in his body, a left ventricular assist device (essentially a mechanical pump) was implanted to help Bill stay alive until an organ donor became available. This device kept him alive for over two years.

Despite Bill’s condition, he and Debbie’s relationship grew stronger as she helped him stay as physically fit as she could during his visits to the hospital. Bill would make sure to see her whenever he had to be at the hospital, making time for conversations, and for the opportunity to get to know one another more. Debbie was divorced, while Bill was widowed. Both had adult kids.

Finally, in August 2016, Bill received a new heart, which meant that he wouldn’t be returning to the hospital anytime soon. It was at this point that Debbie’s three daughters, who also work at the hospital, urged her to give Bill her number. It was a match made in heaven, as it turned out Bill also liked Debbie, and the two began dating before Thanksgiving 2016.

“I’m totally surprised, but I couldn’t be happier,” Debbie told TODAY. “I had no intentions of ever getting married again, ever, and I think he felt the same way.”

Bill continued, “It is a whole new chapter.”

Last year, they got engaged, and they plan to marry this fall.

What an incredible love story! I guess you never know who you’re meant to be with until it happens. Anyone else have an unbelievable love story to share?

Family & Parenting, Good News, Health, News
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About the Author
Chelsea Davis
Chelsea is a freelance journalist based in New York City whose passion revolves around traveling the world, immersing herself in foreign cultures, and of course, eating and drinking everything delicious. She covers all things food, drink and travel and is always up for an adventure, whether that means an adrenaline-pumping excursion or trying a new cuisine. Follow her on Instagram at @cheycheyfromthebay and keep up with her latest work at www.chelseadavis.com.

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