True love stories are always heart-warming and inspiring to read.
It is reassuring to learn about stories of true love in a society where divorce and separation are common, as these stories prove that staying with your loved one until the end is still possible.
The story of a 90-year-old Dutchman named Peter Burkhardt is a living example that shows true love.
Clara, his wife, has dementia and must be in hospice care to get the care she needs.
Sadly, she could only go to one hospice, over ten miles from where she lived.
While others would consider this an inconvenience, it did not bother Peter, said AmoMama.
He visits his 63-year-old wife, a patient at hospice care in Apeldoorn, every day, even though the distance between them is now 10.5 miles.
Most days, he rides his bike across town on his own, but when the weather is bad, he hires a taxi or is driven by his children.
It takes him two hours to cycle there and back, but that may increase if the gusts are strong.
Peter cycles through the Deventer Zwolseeweg roundabout, scanning the area to his left and right from his home in Diepenveen.
After crossing a railroad bridge, he climbs a steep slope and takes a straight road to his destination.
Peter has been traveling to Apeldoorn for seven years, UpWorthy noted.
He wears a blue ski suit, a body warmer, and a white cap to keep warm during winter.
“I’ve done skiing with pleasure. Cold doesn’t bother me, and with rain, you can put on a rain jacket,” he told the Dutch outlet De Stentor. “So I’ll always get to my wife.”
Peter has been making the trip to his wife’s hospice for the past seven years, so he knows the way, like the back of his hand.
Peter said he has to take the situation as it is because he wants to be with his wife every day and doesn’t want to miss her.
“I did it by car for a while. But even then, I alternated it with the bike,” Peter concluded.
Peter has not had a car for a while, and his license application was denied.
But his true love for his wife is unstoppable, said My Modern Met.
Even though his life has changed since his wife moved into hospice care, he still rides his reliable tricycle.
“I walk a lot less now, but cycling is still going well.”
Peter claims his wife is unaware of his daily efforts to be with her.
His wife doesn’t have any idea, but every time he visits, he is always greeted with a warm hug from her.
His children have urged him to continue his daily trip to see their mother since his route is safe, though the bike path could be improved.
“I think they keep each other alive with this. I hope my father inspires other people with this,” said his son, Wouter.
Peter’s story of true love and dedication has moved others.
In the end, though, he has sacrificed everything to be with the woman he loves as much as possible.
“I want to see her, hear her voice. When I entered the nursing home, I immediately knew where she was. She is no longer the same as she was”, Burkhardt said. “But I’m still in love with her.”
Many older people get separated from their spouses to receive the care they require, like hospice care, which can cause significant emotional distress.
Meanwhile, for Peter and Clara, it is beautiful to see that their true love has not changed despite the years apart and that it has only grown deeper.
Watch the video below:
WOW!!