It's never too old for love. Brazilian pensioner, Valdemira Rodrigues de Oliveira is believed to be the world's oldest person to get engaged after she said 'yes' to her 66yr old lover Aparecido Dias Jacob in a ceremony last Saturday. The lovebirds defied doctors' ban to go ahead with the engagement.
Medics had assessed their health and age and warned the duo, known as Valda and Jaco, would not be able to cope with living on their own.
But after three years together, the senior romantics, who have separate rooms at Nossa Senhora Fatima retirement home in Pirassununga, south east Brazil, were determined to prove age is no barrier to finding your soul mate. The elderly sweethearts exchanged engagement rings in a betrothal service organised by volunteers under an initiative called the 'Project of Dreams' and the event was no puny affair. It was lavishly decorated with a four-tier cake, flowers, cupid ornaments and scattered rose petals. Valda looked her best in a white dress with a fancy in her hair, pearls around her neck, nails painted and comfortable slippers.
She walked down the aisle with her Zimmer-frame decorated with roses.
Speaking about her love for her future husband, the centenarian said:
"I fell in love with him. I like him a lot. If he dies, I die too."
The two lovers have never been engaged and most of Valda's relatives have died while Jaco has lost touch with his family. At the altar, the couple couldn't hold back from sealing the occasion with a passionate kiss before taking their vows in front of the 150 invited guests.
After a short message and prayer, the happy couple said "yes" to stay loyal to each other and exchanged engagement rings. The lovestruck pair met at the residential home for the elderly in 2014 and it was love at first sight for Jaco, who suffers from paralysis of the left arm. He has been living in the home for 19 years after being homeless and unemployed.
He said:
"I fell in love with Valda from the moment I saw her. I know she's a little older than me, but that doesn't matter because she makes me really happy.
"I asked her to marry me and we always believed it would happen but getting engaged is a step forward for us right now."
The inseparable couple spend all day with each other, chatting, eating their meals together and sitting side by side in the home.
"I know it's not going to happen but I would have loved to be able to wash Jaco's clothes, cook his meals and look after him like a wife," Valda said.More photos below...
Comments
Post a Comment