Nothing says love like a brand new diamond ring, are we right? Well—we mean a brand new diamond ring after 63 years of marriage, four kids, nine grandchildren, and open-heart surgery, that is.
Let us back up for a second.
Meet Karl and Donna Von Schwarz. These two are high school sweethearts who wed in 1956 and have truly been through the ringer together. They’ve done it all in their more than six decades together, and of course have had their ups and downs, just like any other couple. But sadly, 2018 was the year of more downs than ups for these two.
Donna, who’s 81 years old, unfortunately had to spend the majority of the year in and out of the hospital. On top of undergoing the scary procedure of open-heart surgery, she also suffered a seizure and stroke not long after. It was devastating for the entire family, but mostly for Karl. Nevertheless, he was there for her throughout everything that happened.
“Grandpa never left her side,” their granddaughter Karly Gibbs said. “The rehab center brought in a chair where he slept every night until she was strong enough to come home.”
Though we’re sure Donna would’ve thought that showing his love for her in that way was plenty, Karl wanted to do something super special for her once she was finally able to get out of the hospital. As perhaps motivation for her to get better, he told his wife that he’d get her a new engagement ring if she was able to walk away from this all.
