Michael and Mary Blessington were childhood sweethearts who met when they were still in school and had barely spent a moment apart since.
But when the couple, both 67, were both struck down by coronavirus on the same day they had to be treated for their severe symptoms in different hospital wards - and were separated for the first time.
Michael's condition deteriorated to the point where staff asked if he wanted to be resuscitated and Mary begged doctors to let her die.
But then their son, Craig, pleaded with doctors to move their beds together – and that was the start of their miracle recovery.
Mum-of-three Mary, said: "Moving our beds together definitely saved Michael’s life – and probably mine too.
"I’ve been with Michael since I was a teenager and just to have him in the next bed was a huge comfort. It meant I could nag him too, when I started feeling a bit better."
Mary and Michael, from Bradford, began dating aged 13 at secondary school and have been together ever since.
Mary said: "One day during school PE, I got hit on the head with a rounders ball and was knocked unconscious.
"Michael was watching from his classroom and he jumped out of the window, on the second floor, to be with me and check I was OK.
"We were inseparable after that and it’s a story that still makes us laugh, even now."
Married for 48 years, the couple have three sons, Craig, Michael and Paul.
Dad-of-two Paul, 46, tragically passed away in February this year from suspected adult death syndrome.
In March both Mary and Michael, a former stonemason, began showing symptoms of coronavirus and had to be rushed into Bradford Royal Infirmary by ambulance last month.
Mary, who suffers from severe asthma, was so poorly she asked doctors to let her die. And Michael, who has recently been diagnosed with lung cancer, was asked if he would agree to a DNR notice.
Mary said: "I have asthma so I am used to being breathless but this was completely different, worse than anything I have ever experienced.
"The hospital staff were wonderful but it was so frightening.
"My focus in hospital was to get better for the sake of my family – they had been through the trauma of losing Paul and I couldn’t put them through that again.
"We’re such a close family and I had to get better, for their sake."
Eldest son, Craig, 48, was calling the wards three times a day, pleading for his parents to be reunited.
He said: "Five days in, I managed to get a mobile phone to dad so that he could speak to mum and that made a huge difference.
"Afterwards, the doctors pushed their beds together and that was the turning point. It 100% saved dad. Dad called me and said: ‘I’ve got her now’ and he sounded so much better. It brought tears to my eyes.
"It gave them both a huge boost to their morale, just to be near each other again."
As soon as they were together again both Mary and Michael began to recovery, although they both admit it will be some time before they are better.
Mary said: "It was lovely having Michael in the next bed, someone to make me laugh. What first attracted me to him, 55 years ago, was his sense of fun.
"And that was what kept us going in the hospital too. We owe our lives to each other – and of course to the wonderful doctors and nurses."
