WATCH: Elderly Belfast man surprises wife with return home from hospital after over a week apart
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WATCH: Elderly Belfast man surprises wife with return home from hospital after over a week apart

AN ELDERLY East Belfast couple have become a social media hit after a video of them reuniting after a week apart due to illness went viral. 

Their proud son Aaron captured the emotional moment his dad, Wesley, who is in his late 70s returned home and to his wife Sadie after spending more than a week in hospital. 

Wesley was admitted to hospital over a week ago after taking ill several days earlier at home. 

A former shipyard worker, to say Wesley has been through the wars would be something of an understatement. 

Speaking to Belfast Live, Aaron explained how, over the years prior to this recent bout of illness, his dad had recovered from two major heart attacks as well as throat cancer. 

Even sowhen his dad was struck down by a mystery ailment that affected his breathing both he and his mum feared the worst. 

"My wife Jill's granny passed away from Coronavirus a few weeks ago, so when dad took sick we were really worried that he maybe had it too,” Aaron said. 

Thankfully, doctors found Wesley was suffering with something entirely different and entirely treatable. 

"It ended up being an issue with his intestines and then the breathing difficulties occurred because he was throwing up so much, he actually had been sick into his lungs. So, it was a huge relief that he did not have Coronavirus." 

After just over a week in hospital, Wesley was given the all clear to return home, prompting Aaron to come up with the idea of surprising his mum Sadie, who had been unable to visit her husband in hospital on account of the ongoing pandemic. 

The resulting video of the reunion has evidently struck a chord with others online, accumulating more than two million views on Facebook in just a few short days. 

It’s an experience that has left Aaron, Wesley and Sadie all thankful for the incredible work of the NHS. 

“It just means a lot to us to know that our dad was taken care of so well,” Aaron told Belfast Live. 

“It just means a lot more now than ever, to keep my dad safe in the middle of all of this, we just have no words to say thank you."