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Man Told To Put Wife in Nursing Home 27 Years Ago. Takes Her on Trips Around World Instead

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With divorces and breakups happening so frequently, it’s hard to have hope in life-long love. I think that’s why stories of couples holding fast to their vows are some of my favorite stories to hear.

They make you believe in true love all over again. Such is the story of Andy and Donna Fierlit.

The high school sweethearts first met in 1958 and got married 52 years ago. They have 4 children and 12 grandchildren together.

In 1991, Donna was overcome with an intense migraine while attending a Christmas party. She thought she could just sleep it off, but it turned out to be much more serious.

She collapsed the next day from a brain aneurysm that left her partially paralyzed.

Now confined to a wheelchair, doctors encouraged Andy to place his wife in a nursing home. They said she required too much care.

All Andy could think about, though, were four words from his wedding vows: “for better or for worse.”

Instead of admitting Donna into a nursing home, he bought two tickets for a cruise to Bermuda. That cruise became the first of many trips around the world for the resilient couple.


“Sure, it’s a challenge, but I’ve loved Donna from the day I met her and can’t imagine doing anything else,” Andy said. “From that first trip, I’ve always said, ‘Why not?’ The worst that can happen is that it turns into a nightmare.”

While Donna suffers from short-term memory loss and limited mobility, she remains positive and thoroughly enjoys the many adventures she gets to share with her loving husband.

“I’ve had a spectacular life and I’m extremely grateful. Every day has been an adventure with a husband like Andy,” she said.

Even when things don’t go as planned, the couple has learned to laugh and think creatively.

For example, while waiting for a train at a station in Brussels they quickly realized that there wasn’t a ramp for Donna’s wheelchair. “So they put Donna in a luggage cart,” Andy said.

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“On every trip, we go where the locals go and we almost always encounter caring, loving people. Everyone loves Donna, and to see her light up a room always makes me happy that she’s still by my side.”


Andy and Donna have now visited all seven continents and over 20 countries! And they’re still planning for future adventures together. Scandinavia is next on the list.

Even their children recognize how special their parents love for each other is. Their daughter, Allison Peters, said, “My parents have really tested the ‘for better or worse, in sickness and in health’ part of their wedding vows.”

“But my mom getting sick never changed their love for one another. It just made it grow in a different direction, and I think it focused them to live each day to the fullest and not put off things they wanted to do. That’s why they’ve traveled the world.”

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Kayla has been a staff writer for The Western Journal since 2018.
Kayla Kunkel began writing for The Western Journal in 2018.
Birthplace
Tennessee
Honors/Awards
Lifetime Member of the Girl Scouts
Location
Arizona
Languages Spoken
English
Topics of Expertise
News, Crime, Lifestyle & Human Interest




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