But less than a year later, Betty met Mack. Mack was as shy and reticent as Betty was outgoing and sometimes demanding, but it wasn't long before Betty had her first teenage crush on him. She didn't get to see him that often, but she made a beeline for him whenever she saw him, and soon it was clear that the feelings were mutual.
Over time, Betty and Mack were able to spend more time together, and they began to form a very special bond. There was certainly no one else who could make Mack smile the way that he did when he got a special look or touch from Betty - or a loving thump when he wasn't giving her the attention she wanted from him.
After a while, Betty and Mack became an inseparable pair. There were so many thing stacked against them that could have made it not work, but they've now managed to stay together for over 30 years and through 3 moves that each required them to be separated for a while, including one in which they were apart for over a year.
Even after thirty years, the love they have for each other is still clear to anyone who sees them. They're both in their late 40's/early 50's, but Betty still blushes and grins at his name, and Mack's normally sober face still breaks into a huge smile when she touches him.
Betty has cerebral palsy and is significantly mentally challenged. Mack is independently mobile but has severe brain damage. Neither of them have any verbal language skills, and they each only have very minimal alternate communication skills, though Betty knows a few signs, and was able to tell us that she was crazy about Mack. But what they do have is a deep abiding love. They live together as two of the residents of a group home for severely disabled adults, and for almost three decades it's been part of their families' and treatment plans that they should not be separated.
Betty is V's younger half-sister.
Here is a picture we took this weekend of Betty and Mack:
1 comment:
That is so touching and beautiful!! Thank you for sharing that wonderful story.
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