Gordon and Mary Davis, both 89 years old, have been married for 68 years. Mary had been living at home at the start of the pandemic while her husband was in a care home.

Mary then moved into Baily House Care Home in Mansfield, UK, that was a different care home from Gordon. They had been separated during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, after Gordon fell ill, and he needed to receive medical treatment. However, a room became available at the same care home where Mary stayed. Staff decided to surprise Mary by not telling her that her husband had moved in to join her, and the elderly couple were both in tears as they realized that they could at last hold each other.

Care home staff filmed the emotional reunion and they shared it on Facebook, where it got more than four million views. According to staff, the couple were astounded by the response, and the home has been inundated with messages and gifts from around the world.

Difficult words: reunion (coming together again after a period of separation), astounded (shocked and greatly surprised), inundated (overwhelmed).