Long Lost Love
The romantic story of Gwen Ullman ( 40 ) and Chris Chorvas ( 39 )

Location
Boynton Beach, FL

When and how did you become a couple?
Chris and I became best friends in the third grade. As we got older we stayed friends and one day in 7th grade he asked me to be his girlfriend. After 7 tumultuous days our young romance fizzled. We remained the closest of friends. In highschool, Chris graduated 2 years early and went off to college. I would never see him again.... or so I thought! In the mean time I was having trouble at home... I was adopted you see, and my foster parents and I did not get along... I was dating on the wrong side of the tracks and was finally kicked out of my foster home at 17. I lived with a boyfriend who was abusing me and finally abandoned me 4 years later. I was 21. I then stayed in a loveless relationship for 6 years, finally ending it and moving in with my best friend. I waitressed for another 2 years and my best friend and I decided to travel cross country - we were both single, unencumbered and young (27 at the time going on 28). I spent my 28th birthday in North Carolina with my mama - my REAL mother - and then we moved on to Florida - where Roseanne's parents had a condo. We both got jobs and I met my husband .... needless to say I was married 3 years later. Roseanne moved back to NY. During all this time Chris was off adventuring the world. He went to college for advanced math. Incredibly smart he became involved in one prestigious job after another.... but that wasn't for him. He had also been busy - Having married at 18 with a young daughter and son, only to get divorced and married again twice more... He had applied and got accepted at an accredited teaching college for musicians (I can't remember the name!!) and toured all over the country working for Ibanez. 5 years ago Chris was violently attacked due to a mistaken identity. He was left in a coma for 6 weeks with the left side of his head crushed in... after countless reconstructive surgeries and years of physical therapy - he could finally walk again, look in a mirror and even feed himself. He was living with his sister in Ohio when he started looking for me on myspace- and found me!! When I got his i m I cried and cried - having heard some years earlier that he was shot and killed. We were exctatic to be back in touch and talked nonstop for days. At this time my 8 year marriage was in turmoil - my 5 year old son affected by it all. Chris called me on the third day in a panic - he was having a relapse - his cranium was filling with fluid and not draining from the stint installed in his sinus to drain it. As a result he was losing cognitive functions - sight, movement and even his ability to talk was affected horribly and getting worse as the fluid flooded his cranium. Finally after about 6 agonizing hours his nose started to bleed which meant he was draining and when they got him to the hospital and administered a very painful procedure producing a huge blood clot - all his abilities slowly returned and the excruciating pain he was in subsided. I was in a panic and begged my husband to fly me to my friends side - but Chris refused saying he wanted to get away from his sisters mothering. So my husband put Chris on a bus for a horrifying 24 hr trip to Florida for a two week (which turned into 3) recovery stay with us. My marriage in the end stages already - I quickly fell back in love with Chris. I had always loved him. Over those difficult three weeks of seizures and draining and walking with a cane - I came to find out how Chris had always been in love with me. You see, Chris had a very difficult and abusive childhood. One day this 12 year old boy came out of class looking terrible with his eye swolen shut and a bruise on the side of his mouth - and this 13 year old girl came up to him and put my hand on his arm and said 7 words that would change his life. "I'm sorry this is happening to you." I told him - because, well, I was experiencing much of the same - just not as bad - so I understood. As it turns out, that little boy - feeling he had no other option - was planning to end his own life. I had saved him with those few words. He finally felt as if he had been seen as a human being for the first time. He had been assisted by many others many times - the police and teachers all interveined on his behalf. But no one had ever thought to council him - or tell him he mattered. He thought no one ever saw HIM. Over the years, unbeknownst to me he fell deeply in love with me. Writing songs about me and for me that I was hearing for the first time.  I bought him an acoustic guitar - his having been smashed when he was frustrated over not being able to play.  He was playing beautifully now and it was all for me...I had always loved him - but now that love had so much more to grow on.... Finally it was time for him to leave and it broke my heart - his plan being to come back after he'd settled his affairs in Ohio. He said he could not live another minute without me in his life. I tearfully put him on a bus and waved goodbye. The next day my husband asked for a divorce. I agreed, got in my car and flew to Chris' side. After staying in Ohio for a week we returned to florida and I hid Chris out at my sister's house for a week - finally telling my soon to be ex that he had returned and that we were in love. In december - after much fighting over money - I was finally divorced and Chris and I moved in together.  It's very tough for us right now - him not able to work and me not able to find work - we're poor as anything. But we have my son every day, my husband and I are still friends and he and Chris are friends, and we have each other...... finally.

Why you are the “Most Romantic Senior Couple”?
Well we're no seniors - but we're very much in love and very affectionate. Chris is my hero - my champion.  He's my hero because of all he's accomplished and overcome and my champion because of all the little times and big times he came to my defense and protecting me when I never even knew......

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