Couple with Down Syndrome Celebrate 24 Years of Wedded Bliss Despite All Odds

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A couple with Down syndrome in the United Kingdom is living proof that love knows no boundaries.

When Maryanne and Tommy Pilling, both with Down syndrome, tied the knot in July 1995, some people criticized Maryanne’s mother, Linda Martin, for allowing them to get married. But 24 years later, their love is still going strong.

According to the Facebook page Maryanne and Tommy, set up by Maryanne’s sister, Lindi Newman, the pair first met in 1990 while working in a local training center for people with disabilities.

“The day Maryanne met Tommy she came home with the biggest smile on her face,” Newman told MailOnline. “She couldn’t stop talking about him and asked if he could come for dinner.”

After dating for 18 months, Tommy bought a plastic ring from a vending machine and asked Martin if he could propose.

“My mom immediately said yes but wanted them to do it properly so took him to a jewelry shop to buy a proper ring,” Newman recalled. “She received a lot of flak at the time for letting them get married but she insisted it was their decision.”

Then in 1995, the couple got married in the presence of family and friends at a church in Shoeburyness, Essex. Maryanne wore a beautiful Cinderella-style gown with a veil and tiara, whist Tommy wore a made-to-measure suit, as per a report in the Mirror.

Soon after the wedding, Maryanne’s mother, Linda, was criticized for getting the couple married.

Linda told Jo Piazza’s in an episode of Committed Podcast in 2018, “For me as a mother, I would have felt I'd failed her if I hadn’t acknowledged the fact that she was in love with somebody.”

As per the Mirror, the couple, who have been married for 24 years now, have renewed their vows twice since they got married.

Newman also shared the couple’s secret to their marriage: “What keeps their marriage so strong is that there is never a hidden agenda. They love each other with their whole hearts and are honest with one another.”

Though the couple has an age difference of 13 years, their personalities complement each other—Maryanne loves to talk, while Tommy is reserved and quiet. The couple often enjoys their couple time together, such as watching movies, going out for dinner, going to theme parks, and spending time with family.

Talking about Tommy always lights up Maryanne’s face and she tells him three times a day that she loves him, as per Committed Podcast.

The couple also lives independently in their own apartment, close to Linda’s house.

However, in recent years, Tommy has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and continues to show early signs of it. Linda shared in a podcast: “At the moment, we just say that Tommy is getting older and he forgets things, and he needs a bit more care.”

“And that is enough for Maryanne to deal with at the moment. We go on a day-to-day basis. So at this moment, baby steps,” she further added.

Newman hopes Maryanne and Tommy’s story will inspire others.

“Anything is possible with love and there should be no limitations for anyone, no matter what their circumstances are,” she said.

Watch their love story in the video below: