Disabled Dating Success Stories

Clare and I met on Whispers4u in February of 2007 as we both have MS. Since I live in Syracuse, NY, I was looking for someone in Upstate NY with MS. I Met one person, but didn't click. Then I found Brit Girl, originally from England, who lived in Wise, VA, 700 miles away. After exchanging several emails and videos and talking on the phone a lot, we felt like we knew each other quite well. We decided to meet at a point in between, so in April that year we met in Roanoke, VA. Had a lot of fun and a lot of laughs, so we both knew this relationship had potential, albeit long distance.

 

In the first year, either she came to Syracuse or I went to Wise. A 12 hour drive. In June of that first year we went up in a hot air balloon at Balloon fest here. So for 3+ years we travelled back and forth and stayed for 2 weeks or so. Clare came up for 2 months in the summer of 2009. So we were able to sample, so to speak, living with each other, with 2 power chairs, for an extended period of time. We got along great and knew how to get out of each others way around the house to prevent collisions of our chairs.

 

We have travelled to Niagra Falls, and Montreal Canada. We went on vacation to Florida and spent 3 months there this past winter and also went on a cruise to Mexico!.

 

Over the 3 years, that long drive however, was wearing on us both as well as our cars. We both have handicap vans. We talked about time and again living with each other. She has 3 sons, the youngest still in high school and living with her or his Dad every 2 weeks. She came here in May of this year for a month and we decided then to go for it. She went home, sold her house and moved in with me 3 weeks ago. I presented her with a ring, and that announcement hit facebook within 30 minutes.

 

The key to any relationship to last is to be best of friends as well as all the other elements of any relationship. Respecting each others need for space, habits, lifestyles etc isn't any different with two disable people than, as Clare and I put it, 2 "normal" people. We go out a lot, we go to dinner out regularly, and all my friends and restaurants know how and where to sit us, and get us in places. The biggest draw back is getting into other peoples homes.

 

I am very independent as is Clare. We both have our own activities and encourage each other to maintain those activities. She is a contributing writer to Action Magazine and I am President of a volunteer organization called SCORE, counselors to Americas Small Business.

 

Whispers4u did its job by matching two people with the same condition to find each other. Because of the way insurance works, we may never be able to get married, but that's ok by us. People see us around town a lot. Two attractive, well dressed people who happen to be in power chairs. We definitely get noticed!

 

We laugh about how this all happened and both agree, it all started on Whispers4u. We have our challenges, but understanding the condition makes it all worth while.

 

Thank you Whispers4u.com. "

 

Joseph Pagano and Clare Willson