(Photo/People's Daily Online)
Employees at a hospital in Wuhan, Hubei province have lately been captivated by the love story of an elderly couple. On Feb. 14, Valentine's Day, hospital staff prepared a bouquet of fresh flowers for their elderly patient, Deng, and encouraged him to give it to his wife.
The 85-year-old Deng suffers from Alzheimer's disease, which prevents him from recognizing anyone other than his wife, Zhang, who is 78 years old. The couple has been married for 60 years.
Earlier this month, both Deng and Zhang were hospitalized, and they arranged to stay together in the same room. Nurses found that Deng couldn't find his way to his room unless he saw Zhang inside. He also followed her closely wherever she went, asking the nurses about her whereabouts every minute or two when she was not around. For Deng, it's impossible to remember when to take his pills, but his beloved wife is never far from his mind.
"I had never seen my parents hold hands or speak sweetly to one another. But since my father became ill, they hold hands everywhere they go," Deng's daughter remarked.