This video of an 89-year-old Irish grandad surprising his wife after he was discharged from hospital would bring a tear to a glass eye.
Vincent O'Brien has been married to his wife Mary for 66 years and the couple had never missed a Christmas together before last year.
However, Vincent was admitted to the Mater Hospital on December 15 due to complications from gallstones and was only discharged five days after Christmas on December 30.
Ellen Murphy, the couple's granddaughter, told IrishCentral that her grandfather's time in hospital was particularly difficult since nobody was allowed to visit him.
"It was awful that nobody could go and visit him, especially for my nana because it was their first Christmas apart from each other in 70 years. It was very hard because he has dementia and was too old to use a mobile phone," Murphy told IrishCentral. "We could only keep in touch with how he was doing through the nurses."
Vincent's time in hospital was especially difficult for his wife, who usually holds her husband's hand as he sings Joe Dolan to her on Christmas Day, Murphy said.
Since tests were taking longer than usual due to the COVID-19 pandemic, fis family had no idea when he would be released, but they received a call from the Mater Hospital on December 30 informing them that Vincent could be picked up immediately.
They decided to surprise Mary, who was unaware of her husband's discharge, by bringing him home when she least expected it.
Her endearing and emotional reaction was captured on video and posted to TikTok by Murphy and the post has since gone viral, generating more than 350,000 likes and 2.5 million views.
@ellenmurphy38 66 years married ... Grandad coming home after a long stay in hospital over Christmas ... She had no idea he was released ? ##irish ##foryou
♬ Coming Home - Part II - Skylar Grey
"I had to turn the notifications off on my phone as the numbers just kept going up, we couldn't believe it," Murphy told IrishCentral.
She said that her grandfather's return home was extra special for his wife because she celebrated her 90th birthday just a few days later on January 5.
The strict measures introduced by the Irish Government in January meant that the family couldn't properly celebrate her landmark birthday.
"We tried to make the day as special as we could so various family members went down with balloons and presents and left them at the hall door," Murphy said.
Vincent, meanwhile, turns 90 on May 6 this year and the family plans to hold a double birthday celebration in May if COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted.
The couple celebrated their 66th wedding anniversary last July when they also celebrated 70 years together.
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