Man with Alzheimer’s Proposed to His Wife After Forgetting They Were Married for 12 Years
A 56-year-old Connecticut man battling Alzheimer’s proposed to his wife of 12 years and she was excited to relive the special day with him.
Lisa Marshall has been the caretaker for her husband, Peter Marshall, since 2018 when he was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimers, she told Today.
“I didn’t know anything about Alzheimer’s,” Lisa told Today about her husband being diagnosed at just 53. “It was something you get when you’re 80. I was ignorant about it. I didn’t know anything at all. I knew cognitively he was slipping quick, but I was in denial.”
One of the big symptoms with Alzheimer’s is memory loss.
Last year Peter reminded Lisa of his love for her while they watched a wedding scene on the television. As they watched, Peter asked his wife if she would marry him, forgetting that they had already exchanged vows 12 years ago according to PEOPLE.
“I said, ‘Do what?’ And he pointed to the TV, to the scene of this wedding and I said, ‘Do you want to get married?’ He said yes and had this huge grin on his face,” Lisa told WNBC. “He doesn’t know that I’m his wife. I’m just his favorite person.”
Peter and Lisa renewed their vows on April 26, in front of family and friends.
“There wasn’t a dry eye, and I was over the moon,” Lisa told WNBC. “I hadn’t seen Peter that happy in a long time.”
Lisa’s daughter, Sarah Brehant, who owns a wedding planning business helped throw the event.
“I knew that my stepdad, who I am very close with, was there through some of the toughest times of my life,” Brehant told the WashingtonPost. “He means so much to me, and my mom is my best friend, so I was proud to be able to take on such an important role.”
“I just want to be open and honest and tell people what we’re experiencing, because you might too,” Lisa told Today. “I’d rather know it and be prepared. That’s my whole mission, too.”
Watch their wedding video below:
