In a deeply moving episode of Australian Story tonight, Col and Laura share how their paths crossed after both losing their partners to sudden cardiac arrest.
Bonding through grief, their connection grew into an unexpected love story—one that challenges perceptions around when it’s “right” to move on, while proving that love for the past and hope for the future can coexist.
From ABC:
Everyone loves a love story and in this classic Australian Story there’s not one, but three – all intertwined in the most unusual ways. It’s an insightful reflection on grief and love that ponders the thorny question, when is an appropriate time to re-partner after loss?
Col and Laura both lost their cherished spouses to sudden cardiac arrest. Consumed by grief, neither was looking for love. But after a chance encounter in an online group for young widows and widowers, one thing led to another.
“I could probably loosely categorise the responses into three groups,” says Col, whose wife Sheree died nine months before he met Laura.
“Those that are just full of support, really happy to see us happy again. Then there’s probably those that are really judgemental, don’t want to know about it.”
“And then there’s a group that are somewhere in the middle that probably don’t understand it, particularly the timeline, but are smart enough not to say anything.”
Col’s new partner Laura discovered she that she was pregnant days after the death of her husband Stuart.
She and Col have found that love for their late spouses can coexist with their new love for each other.
“Even now, four years after Stuart’s died, I still feel I’m married to Stuart. I still wear my wedding ring, and I’ve got Stuart’s wedding band as well,” says Laura.
“I will never stop loving Stuart. And Col is completely fine with that because I understand that he will always love Sheree”.
And now, together as a new couple, there’s another surprise in store.
