Husband creates 'bike chair' so he can take wife with Alzheimer's out around the neighborhood

After 55 years of marriage, Bill and Glad Forward are very much inseparable. But their love story has not been without its trials and tribulations, namely Glad's Alzheimer's diagnosis back in 2004.

It was particularly difficult as prior to the decline in Glad's health, the couple spent a lot of their time outdoors. However, her health continued to deteriorate and even affected her mobility to the extent that she could no longer walk on her own anymore, without continuously falling over, Sunshine Coast Daily reported.

The video showcases the daily struggle that the couple endures as the disease gradually worsens. Bill explains that he does everything for Glad, from the moment she wakes up until the moment she goes to bed.

He says: “I don’t count it a burden whatsoever, I count it a great privilege to care for this one I have loved all these years. She’s my princess and I’m her William and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

And out of this difficulty, the invention of a bicycle for two was born. After having lived in Asia for a number of years, Bill said he was influenced by the inventions he had seen others create.

So Bill set about designing a bike chair in which Glad would sit in front, with him pedaling along behind. That way she could sit while pointing things out, and they would be looking at the same thing. In any case, he then took the design to his friend, Ken McKenzie, who was able to make it a reality.

Glad's condition affects millions of people up and down the country. In fact, according to the Alzheimer's Association, an estimated 5.8 million Americans are living with the condition. The stat is made up of an estimated 5.6 million people aged 65 and above, and approximately 200,000 people under the age of 65 who have early-onset Alzheimer's.