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
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
'Sophisticated' cyberattacks detected on B.C. government networks, premier says
There has been a "sophisticated" cybersecurity breach detected on B.C. government networks, Premier David Eby confirmed Wednesday evening.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
Canucks beat Oilers 5-4 in comeback to take Game 1
The Vancouver Canucks won the first game of their NHL playoffs series with the Edmonton Oilers 5-4 on Wednesday night coming back from a three-goal deficit.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.