The Longest Marriage: Couple With Down Syndrome Spent 25 Years Together Proving True Love Has No Limits

September 17, 2019

The way you handle diversity tells a lot about who you are. In the case of this couple, they have overcome numerous obstacles for their love and, somehow, they have always come out at the other side in triumph.

Their love story says a lot about who they are, beyond the fact that the woman and the man both have Down syndrome.

Couple with Down syndrome spent 25 years together

Meet Paul Scharoun De-forge and Kris Scharoun De-forge! They met in the 1980s, and it was love at first sight when they saw each other at a dance party. Unfortunately, after many difficult but wonderful years together, Paul passed away due to an early onset of Alzheimer's disease.

The couple dated for a long while. After spending five years together, they wanted nothing other than to tie the knot.

However, many people didn't believe in their love. They said that two people with Down Syndrome should not get married. People claimed that couple with Down syndrome didn't have the emotional or cognitive capacity to cope with marriage.

Luckily, the couple had a supportive family. Kris's sister, Susan, opened up about their wish to get married:

"I saw them as individuals who should have a right to make that decision."

They took five years to convince the state officials that they were capable of maintaining a home, but that was not without them being compelled to take tests about their sexual knowledge, needs, and feelings to prove there were able to consent to the marriage.

They finally succeeded and got married at Le Moyne Manor Hotel before 150 guests. What is even more adorable is that Paul chose to add his wife's family name to his, showing that they had all become one big, happy family.

Roman Samborskyi / Shutterstock.com

The lovebirds enjoyed each other's company and owing to the fact that their temperaments balanced each other's own, they enjoyed a blissful marriage.

In August 2018, they marked their 25th anniversary by renewing their vows, but the couple had new challenges knocking on their door: they were battling health problems.

While Kris was managing type 1 diabetes, Paul was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, which happens much earlier in people with Down syndrome.

The Longest Marriage: Couple With Down Syndrome Spent 25 Years Together Proving True Love Has No LimitsAlzheimer's pathdoc / Shutterstock.com

Speaking of him, Kris said:

"He opened up my world."

What a wonderful couple! Paul passed away, but his love is with Kris even now. This beautiful romantic story proves that true love has no limits and never discriminates.