Belfast granda told he wouldn't live to 21 celebrates 70 years of marriage

A 90-year-old Belfast man, who was told he wouldn't live past 21, is looking forward to celebrating his 70th wedding anniversary.

Stanley Truesdale met his wife, Eileen, in the east of the city when they were teenagers.

He told UTV it was love at first sight.

"It must have been because I never got looking at another woman! She was on to a good thing," said Stanley.

Despite the couple's love for each other, their parents tried to dissuade them from marrying due to Stanley's health concerns.

At age 9, Stanley was told by doctors he wouldn't live past 21, but that didn't stop Eileen from wanting to marry him.

"I loved him... we loved each other and we've never been apart ever since. You see one, you see the other one," said Eileen.

Stanley never had an operation to fix his heart problem. He said it was Eileen that willed him to stay alive.

"We just live for each other ... anything that we decide on it's a joint effort. We never do anything unless it's the both of us and I think that's the secret," said Stanley.

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