Residents and staff at Archway Transitional Care, a 100-bed skilled nursing facility in Macon, GA, in late December celebrated the wedding of John and Doreen Spillers. Their love story started over shared lunches and treats, until it culminated with John suddenly asking Spillers to marry him while they sat in the dayroom.
“It was like a crush; it was like a school boy crush, but I was fascinated by her and it developed into something far more than I anticipated,” John told local media.
The ceremony was held at the facility with staff helping them get ready for the big day, which included getting rings and ordering a cake. The couple’s union proves that people can find love at any age and location, including a nursing home.
“Even if you go into a nursing home, it’s not the end of your life,” said Archway Administrator Faith Regan. “It can just be the beginning of your life.”
John, a diabetic who was won over when Doreen snuck him desserts, said their union was a surprise.
“You don’t expect to find true love in [in a nursing home] and it’s just something that happened,” John added. “I’ve really been blown away by the whole thing.”
Now, the two are considering starting their new lives in an assisted living facility.
“When I get up in the morning, I smile now,” Doreen said. “Before, I just felt this is the time in my life where I just have to spend it by myself, but now it’s not like that. I have him and we’re a family together.”
Congratulations to the happy couple.
