People say a lot of things about love: how love is forever, how love can set you free, how love is the answer to all things in life. While some consider it cliché, others have a different experience and take these statements for facts.
And every now and then, we stumble upon a story that adds validity to what people say about love, particularly that anything is possible with love, despite it sounding much like a fairy tale.
Bill and Glad Forward have been together for over 50 years. Throughout their lives together, they have been challenged by many things, including an unfortunate turn of events back in 2004 when Glad’s health started to decline at an alarming rate and she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.
Bill and Glad have been together for over 50 years, sharing their love for each other and their love for biking
Image credits: The Bike Chair
The couple has spent much of their time outdoors, primarily cycling. Bill reminisces that bikes have been an integral part of their lives, and with Glad no longer as mobile as she used to be—so much that she now has great trouble walking on her own without falling over—it seemed that their outdoor activities were over.
However, Bill was not going to give up, swearing that he would do anything for his wife Glad. In this difficult time, Bill had an idea to have a special bike built, one that could accommodate a person who is incapable of the mobility a regular bicycle would require.
Image credits: The Bike Chair
Back in 2004, Glad was diagnosed with Alzheimer's and her health started to deteriorate fast
Image credits: The Bike Chair
This was the start of the “bike chair,” a play on the words “bike” and “wheelchair.” Bill lived overseas for years and he was greatly inspired by the inventiveness there, which led to the creation of the bike chair.
It’s said that he came up with a draft design and took it to his friend Ken McKenzie to build. The result was the bike chair that you can see pictured here: an old-school baby-blue bike (in Bill and Glad’s case, at least) modified to have one wheel on the back and two wheels on the front with a chair, a seat belt, and leg rests equipped between them.
Mobility was one of the things that suffered the most in her, but Bill had an idea for saving their passion for biking
Image credits: Why God?
Image credits: Why God?
What followed was Bill going to his friend with a draft of a bike with a chair in the front, which soon became a reality
Image credits: Why God?
“When we first started dating, I used to ride my bike from where I lived to where she was, and that was about 5 kilometers, on a Saturday afternoon, ‘cause that was the only chance we had to get together,” explained Bill in a video by CVCNow.
The video shows the daily struggles of Bill and Glad in the shadow of the disease. However, despite this setback, Bill does everything for his wife, “from the moment she wakes up until the moment she goes to bed,” and he sees this as an honor to be able to return his love for all the care and love Glad showed him throughout the years:
Image credits: Why God?
The two continue to share rides through the local parks and beaches with Glad in the front and Bill in the back
Image credits: Why God?
“I don’t count it a burden whatsoever, I count it a great privilege to care for this one I have loved all these years. She’s my princess and I’m her William and I wouldn’t have it any other way,” explained Bill.
He continued: “I used to ride everywhere on my bike, and Glad had her bike as well, and we’d put a bay chair on the front of her bike, so we carried our babies around on the bikes. Bike’s been part of our lives, and I guess that has something to do with this now.”
Image credits: Why God?
Watch a wholesome and heart-wrenching video of the two, their struggles and their joys
Image credits: Why God?
Since then, the Bike Chair Team was formed, which has over 27,000 followers on Facebook and is attempting to develop a safe and sturdy version of the Bike Chair to be provided to those with mobility problems.
What do you think about this? Would you want a bike like this and who would you take with you for bike rides? Let us know in the comments section below!