I Married a Girl with Parkinson’s despite Friends’ Warning, Now We Celebrate 40 Years with 14 Grandkids – My Story

I married a girl with Parkinson’s despite my friends warning me against it. Now, we have 14 grandchildren and are living the best life with our family, constantly traveling and spending all special occasions together.

I met Leah at a hospital while I was working there as an intern. She was a regular patient of one of the doctors there, as she was being treated for young-onset Parkinson’s.

For me, it was love at first sight. When I first saw her, she had this breathtaking beauty that I just couldn’t resist. She was a soft-spoken young lady with a beautiful face, and each time I saw her at the hospital, I kept wanting to get to know her more.

One day, I finally mustered up the courage to ask her out on a date. I slowly approached her while she waited on one of the hospital benches, and started talking about my favorite diner across the street.

“Hi,” I waved shyly. “I’m Jack. I’m sorry to be bothering you like this, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t attracted to you,” I told her.

As I said this, I saw Leah flash the most beautiful smile I had ever seen, with her cheeks showing two dimples that added to her character. “Me?” she giggled. “Why would you be interested in me? I’m just a woman with young-onset Parkinson’s. It’d be such a hassle to date me,” she started to say.

“Can I at least try?” I asked her honestly. I think she saw how genuinely I asked her that question, and she decided to give it a try.

That day, we went out on a date in the diner across the street. I remember it so vividly – I ordered my favorite cheeseburger meal and a milkshake, and she ordered chicken tenders and a rootbeer float. We spent the entire afternoon talking, exchanging stories, and laughing with one another. It was the best date I had ever gone on.

Leah was my best friend and my only one. Before I met her, I couldn’t care less about the hearts I’d broken, and admittedly, I wouldn’t mind dating more than one girl at once. But when Leah came, I changed. I didn’t see it coming, but the thought of hurting Leah was something I just couldn’t take. I wanted to be the one to take her troubles away, not cause them.

When we started dating, Leah didn’t want to let me in. “Things are going to get worse for me,” she would warn me. “I really don’t want to be a burden to you.”

I would notice how Parkinson’s affected her daily life. Her hands would tremble every time she used them, and sometimes it got so uncontrollable that the pot she was cooking with almost fell to the floor. “I got it, sweetheart,” I told her at that moment. “I’m here. You don’t have to worry about things...