A woman is going above and beyond to be close to her husband at the nursing home where he lives in Plattsburgh, New York.
John and Cynthia Romano met when they both worked for customs in 1977 at the border crossing in Champlain, New York, NBC 5 reported Friday.
“This year will be our 31st year of wedded bliss,” Cynthia told the outlet.
Since 2018, her husband has been living at the Plattsburgh Rehabilitation and Nursing Center, and when the coronavirus pandemic hit last spring, it kept visitors from entering the facility.
“We did everything together so being separated was really hard,” Cynthia recalled, adding, “It affected him and I know it affected me not being able to be close to him.”
“We did do some FaceTime and window visits, and then for some crazy reason, I started thinking about working here so that I could be with him more. He’s laughing here,” she noted.
In November, the devoted wife joined the facility’s kitchen staff and then the housekeeping team.
“Whenever I see him, I always stop and chat with him for a little bit,” Cynthia explained.
The nursing home’s mission is “to provide personal care and the highest quality-of-life by partnering with residents and families to foster meaningful relationships,” according to its website.
Barbara McNierney, who is the activities director at the facility, said her staff members work hard to keep residents’ spirits up.
“We try everything that we can to make our residents smile, so when his wife was there, it’s just so heart-melting,” she commented.
Cynthia knows her presence is a big part of her husband’s overall well-being.
“After 30 years of being together all the time, to where we were separated for so long, it just means a lot to me to be able to see him, and I think it makes a difference for him too. You know?” she noted.
“To be able to see me because he always smiles, and sometimes he’ll give me a kiss or a hug,” said Cynthia, who is scheduled to work on Valentine’s Day.
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