When Kelly Conner was diagnosed with breast cancer in January, her husband, Albert Conner, was with her through every step of the way. So when he found out that he couldn’t be with her during a chemotherapy appointment because of hospital restrictions due to COVID-19, he got creative and showed up at the cancer center to support her from a safe distance.
The father of three drove to the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Sugar Land, Texas, carrying a poster board with the message, “I can’t be with you but i’m here.” It also said “love you” along with a word of thanks to the hardworking hospital staff.
“I didn’t feel right not being a part of it because I had promised her that I would be there every step of the way and I felt like I would be breaking my word,” Albert Conner, 44, told Good Morning America. “I just got a poster board and our kids and I colored it.”
The gesture was a sweet surprise for Kelly, 40, who thought that her husband had stayed at home in Missouri City, Texas. That day, she drove herself to the cancer center after assuring Albert that she’d be fine going alone. As she was receiving treatment, she got a text message from him saying that he was outside in the parking lot.
She peered out the window and caught sight of Albert sitting on a portable outdoor chair holding a book, while the poster board stood in front of him.
“It immediately brought tears to my eyes and I felt a love for him right then in that moment, that he would do that for me,” Kelly said.
She let out a little gasp when she saw Albert, prompting her nurse to ask what was wrong. But when she saw what Kelly was looking at outside, she started tearing up too.
Albert’s sweet gesture caught the attention of the nurses. Several of them walked outside to thank him personally, even though they knew that they’d have to go through a screening process to get back inside the hospital. They told him that seeing moments like this are the reason why they come to work. And though Albert felt “uncomfortable” because of the attention, it also made him “feel good.”
Albert said he intentionally chose a poster board-size sign because he wanted to make sure that Kelly could read the message no matter where he was in the parking lot. He got lucky and parked in a spot several floors above where Kelly happened to be assigned that day.
There is still a long road ahead for Kelly’s cancer treatment. Once she’s done with chemotherapy by the end of May, she will undergo surgery and radiation. Soon, she will be put on a new and more aggressive chemotherapy drug, which will make each session longer.
Although the couple was upset at first when they learned that the cancer center was banning visitors, they completely understood that it was for the greater good.
Albert also supports his wife in other ways. Knowing that he might get the virus if he’s always in contact with people, Albert closed his locksmith business so he could stay at home and protect Kelly from being infected.
The family hopes that they will be there with Kelly to ring the bell once her chemotherapy treatments are over, but if not, then Albert will be the one to ring it for her.
Watch the video below from Good Morning America to learn more about this touching story.
Nothing, not even a pandemic, can stop this husband from showing his support and love for his wife. Indeed, this couple is so blessed to have each other!