Husband holds sign for wife outside nursing home on 67th anniversary after they ban visitors

Bob Shellard was set to visit his wife Nancy Shellard in her nursing home for their wedding anniversary on March 14, but when the home banned visitors due to coronavirus, Bob had to get creative.

Bob, 90, and Nancy, 88, have been married for 67 years. The two met when Nancy worked at a small dairy shop and Bob would visit while he waited for the bus to go to work at his job after World War II. The couple has four children, nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren with one on the way.

After being diagnosed with dementia, Nancy moved into a nursing home in Stafford Springs, Connecticut, in December. Bob has a caretaker or family friend take him to visit her almost every day.

"I just miss her now that she's in the nursing home," Bob said.

On March 9, the nursing home announced that it would stop accepting visitors due to coronavirus concerns. Bob's youngest daughter, Laura Mikolajczak, 51, called her dad to tell him the news. Bob and Nancy's anniversary was that Saturday.

"He asked me, 'How am I going to get in there?'" Laura said. "I told him he couldn't get in, but maybe they could wheel her up to the window and we could stand with balloons outside so she can see us."