LETTER TO THE EDITOR:
A beautiful love story
I work at Freedom Plaza, a continuing care community in Sun City Center, and have seen firsthand how hard the pandemic has been on families. I also have a front row seat to some beautiful moments. One of those moments happened recently between two of our married residents, Margit and Ed.
When Ed married Margit, he was determined to ensure she had an incredible life and remained committed to her through all of life’s ups and downs.
Ed was in our independent living community, while Margit had been moved to our memory care community. When COVID-19 appeared, memory care unit and independent living residents visits were restricted, but Ed refused to be separated from her and made the choice to live full time with Margit in memory care.
Recently, the two celebrated their 62nd wedding anniversary and in true ‘Ed form,’ he wanted to make sure this one was special for Margit, so he, with the help of our staff, planned a vow renewal ceremony. Margit even fell in love with a gown we had purchased, so it became her wedding dress.
On the day of the anniversary, those working in memory care did her hair and makeup, nails, perfume — the works! It was just like she was a bride again. When “Here Comes the Bride” played, Ed began to cry. They shared their vows, and Ed gave the most beautiful tribute to his bride that had everyone in tears.
Many ask how we work in memory care, especially when the pandemic has taken such a toll on so many, but the truth is, moments like this not only enrich the lives of our residents, they also enrich the staff’s lives.
Freedom Plaza has a dedicated team, and we make a promise to our residents and families that we will embrace excellence, exceed expectations, engage in the practice of resident-centered care and ensure each resident’s life is enriched every day.
This day was an incomparable testament to love and the lengths we can go to bring others happiness during this challenging time.
Connie Nixon,
Memory Care Program Manager, Freedom Plaza
Sun City Center
