Jean-Pierre and Bernadette Adams: The Love Story That Kept Them Going for 33 Years
After 33 years of silence and deep sleep, Jean-Pierre Adams has his eyes open, and while unable to tell his story, his wife, Bernadette, has shared it for the world to get inspiration from.
Jean-Pierre was a former France international player and football became his life for quite some time, but in 1982, while coaching young football trainees, he damaged a tendon in his leg. What was supposed to be a smooth surgery to fix the tendon led to the tragedy that his wife still suffers until today.
It turns out that the hospital where Jean-Pierre had the operation was on strike that day and numerous errors were committed by the staff at the Edouard Herriot Hospital in Lyon. He left the hospital unable to speak a word, walk, or move without the help of a nurse or his wife.
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Since then, Bernadette has stayed beside her husband and almost never left his side. There have been sleepless nights and stressful days. She had to carry him around to help him do his thing in the toilet, flip him over to prevent sores from developing, fed him, changed his clothes, and gave him presents to make him feel that life was still normal.
33 years later, Bernadette still tends to Jean-Pierre and continues to worry about her death. Instead of worrying about the bills and her husband's uncertain health condition, she worries more about herself. She shouldn't be blamed for thinking about her future, after all no one will ever care for Jean-Pierre as much as she does.
"Imagine if I die before him, then what would become of him? He'll die without being looked after. He needs me to be able to eat, to meet his primary needs. If I don't do it, who will? she asks CNN. Jean-Pierre seems to be awake since he has his eyes open but it is still too early — even after decades — to tell if he can hear and understand things around him. On the other hand, Bernadette thinks he does sometimes.
The future is uncertain not only for Jean-Pierre, but for Bernadette as well, and until a fortunate twist of fate occurs, the footballer's love for his wife will drive him to live on and his wife's love for him will encourage her every day to get up and dress up for the man who stole her heart in a dance back in the 1960s.
