B.C. widow finds unexpected love while performing in blind choir
Before she experienced the worst year of her life, Debbie Barnswell simply sang for fun.
“Singing brings joy,” she says.
It wasn’t until she lost her husband of 32 years and diabetes stole her sight that Debbie found singing could also provide comfort.
“I felt like a bit of the emptiness was gone,” she says.
So Debbie decided to join a choir for the visually impaired.
“It gave me something I so desperately needed,” she says.
Fellow singer Bryan Barnswell says he’ll never forget how it felt to harmonize with Debbie for the first time.
“Really wow!,” he smiles. “She caught my attention right away.”
And Debbie will never forget how fun it was to talk together with Bryan between practices.
“I always love his sense of humour,” Debbie laughs.
They became fast friends. But then, months later, Debbie started feeling awkward.
“I had butterflies in my stomach,” she says. “I certainly wasn’t in my 20s anymore.”
She felt apprehensive about pursing a romantic relationship until Bryan had to miss their regular walks together due to a hospital stay.
“When I got back, she squealed very loudly,” Bryan says with a smile.
Debbie realized she was experiencing what she never thought she would again — love.
“Bryan brought fulfillment in my life that I had missed,” Debbie says.
So she confronted her fears and the couple started officially dating for about a year. Then, one day, Debbie heard an unexpected sound.
“I was wondering why there was a horse in that area,” Debbie recalls.
After surprising Debbie with a carriage ride, Bryan got down on his knee and slipped a ring on her finger.
“She was laughing, saying ‘Yes,’” Bryan smiles. “It was great.”
Debbie says she felt like Cinderella in a dream come true.
“I realized, 'This really is happening,'” she giggles.
The choir that first brought them together provided the soundtrack to Debbie and Bryan vowing to stay together forever.
During the wedding reception, the couple took centre stage, and sang a duet of “(Love Lifts Us) Up Where We Belong.”
“It’s exciting!” Debbie says of their love story.
“Anything is possible,” Bryan adds. “Love never ends.”
They say that if you have the courage to open your heart, you just might find it harmonizing an enduring melody.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
7 surveillance videos linked to extortions of South Asian home builders in Edmonton released
The Edmonton Police Service has released a number of surveillance videos related to a series of extortion cases in the city now dubbed 'Project Gaslight.'
Ukraine uses long-range missiles secretly provided by U.S. to hit Russian-held areas, officials say
Ukraine for the first time has begun using long-range ballistic missiles provided secretly by the United States, bombing a Russian military airfield in Crimea last week and Russian forces in another occupied area overnight, American officials said Wednesday.
Pilot reported fire onboard plane carrying fuel, attempted to return to Fairbanks just before crash
One of the two pilots aboard an airplane carrying fuel reported there was a fire on the airplane shortly before it crashed and burned outside Fairbanks, killing both people on board, a federal aviation official said Wednesday.
BREAKING Manitoba government tables bill to end ban on homegrown recreational cannabis
Manitoba is planning to lift its ban on the home growing of recreational cannabis.
All Alberta wildfires to date in 2024 believed to be human-caused: province
There are 63 wildfires burning in Alberta's forest protection area as of Wednesday morning and seven mutual aid fires, including one in the Municipal District of Peace.