Husband, 89, surprises his dementia-battling 90-year-old wife with emotional reunion after hospital stay meant they missed Christmas together for first time in 66 years of marriage
- Vincent O’Brien had to leave wife Mary to go into hospital in early December
- Operation meant they spent first Christmas apart in 66 years of marriage
- Luckily Vincent, 89, was released in time to surprise Mary on her 90th birthday
A grandfather reduced his wife to tears by surprising her on her 90th birthday after he was released from hospital.
Heartwarming footage shows the moment Vincent and Mary O’Brien were reunited at their home in Dublin, Ireland.
The couple have been married for 66 years and have never spent a Christmas apart.
But in early December, Vincent, 89, had to go into Mater Hospital in the Irish capital because of complications from gallstones.
Heartwarming footage shows the moment Vincent and Mary O’Brien were reunited at their home in Dublin, Ireland on her 90th birthday
Ellen Murphy, one of the couple’s grandchildren, said that her grandfather’s time in hospital was difficult for Mary who suffers from dementia and doesn’t know how to use a smartphone.
Because tests were taking longer than usual due to the coronavirus pandemic, the couple could not be together for Christmas, and no one was allowed to visit Vincent in hospital.
The family eventually received a call from the hospital on December 30 informing them that Vincent could be picked up immediately.
They decided to surprise Mary, who hadn’t been told of her husband’s discharge, by bringing him home on her 90th birthday.
The family eventually received a call on December 30 to say Vincent could be picked up, but decided to surprise Mary by bringing him home on her 90th birthday
Her beautiful reaction has since gone viral after being viewed more than 2.5 million times on Tiktok.
‘I had to turn the notifications off on my phone as the numbers just kept going up, we couldn’t believe it,’ Murphy told IrishCentral.
‘We tried to make the day as special as we could so various family members went down with balloons and presents and left them at the hall door.’
Vincent has his 90th birthday in May, and the family are planning a big celebration if lockdown restrictions have been lifted.