Northampton County couple celebrates 55th wedding anniversary with special dance

A love story more than half a century old. For a Northampton County couple Friday was their 55th wedding anniversary and it's special for a number of reasons.

"He's been a phenomenal husband. Wonderful father." Rose Brotzman still talks about her man like they're teenagers. In fact, she was a teenager on their wedding day on June 15,1963. He was 20 and she was just 19. 55 years later and they're still just as in love--maybe even more so.

You see, last year Rose was rushed to Lehigh Valley Hospital after a severe stroke and bleeding on the brain. She was unable to sit, stand, walk or talk. Suddenly, after being cared for for the last 50 years it was Wayne's turn to be the caregiver.

"For us our every day routine has completed changed because all my life my wife took care of everything," Wayne said.

"He helps with the cleaning of the house. He cooks the meals. What more could a wife ask of their husband than that?," Rose said.

Well, there was one thing. Through a past year and a half of painful and emotional rehab this couple had one goal and that was to dance together.

"Our rallying cry was we are going to dance at our 55th anniversary," Wayne said.

Actually, Wayne was never a dancer. According to Rose, they never actually danced on their wedding day.

"The Phillies were playing that day. So of course, he was out in the parking lot listing to a doubleheader with my cousin," Rose explained.

But what about their wedding photo? Well, it turns out it was staged and they never had their first dance.

"We were not dancing. The photographer asked us to pretend we were so he could get a picture and that's where the picture came from," Rose said.

So with the help of their medical team after 55 years they danced together for the first time.

Rose and Wayne still go to Lehigh Valley Hospital monthly for check-ups, but they admit they really go to visit the medical team they've adopted as family.