A 95-year-old newlywed Virginia man has died just weeks after his 96-year-old wife was taken to Florida by family members. The pair's unconventional marriage made national news last year following an Associated Press article on the couple not only were they 95 and 96 when they got married, but the interracial aspect of their marriage was noteworthy. On one occasion she called members of our family to tell them that Daddy was at her house, had taken too much insulin and someone needed to come get him because she had to go show a house (she was a realtor). Could her distress have been alleviated, if she had received reassurance rather than being torn between conflicting factions? Throughout the ten weeks of filming, our focus was solely on Edith and Eddie and their relationship. Thats the other story of Edith+Eddie. Subscribe to KHN's free Morning Briefing. Having taken care of my Dad, elder care is a subject that hits close to my heart as it is. Her intent was to focus on their love story. That year, a court declared Edith incompetent and named Yates her legal guardian, according to court records. There are no grand solutions, but there are countless little ways to make our lives better. Horrible freaking woman. We filmed all those around them who were willing to be filmed, she responded in a written statement, explaining why she hadnt explored the broader family issues. Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window). But as I widened the scope, I discovered a different, familiar story one that couldnt be told in 29 minutes: Three daughters in distress over the care of an aged mother and roiled by disputes played out in courtrooms among far-flung siblings. Jessica only wanted to get paid and didnt see anything behind the harm what was done. "Edith + Eddie," a short documentary vying for an Academy Award Sunday, is a gripping look at a couple in their 90s caught up in an intense family conflict over caring for an aging parent. Join Facebook to connect with Jessica Niesen and others you may know. I also contacted Ediths independent guardian and several lawyers involved with this case and reviewed Virginia court records, including a series of orders involving Edith between 2011 and 2015. I reached out to Ediths family members including several who werent included in the documentary. Edith Hill, 96, and Eddie Harrison, 95, shown here in their home in Annandale, Va., were married earlier this year. It begins in the fall of 2014 with Edith Hill, 96, and Eddie Harrison, 95, who were married only a few months before, enjoying a series of intimate moments dancing together, holding hands, exercising and chatting comfortably. But as I immersed myself in the details of this case, I found myself reaching a familiar conclusion: Real life is more complicated than in the movies. Or does the law of the land lean toward injustice? Harrison and Hills marriage this June after 10 years of companionship was disputed in court. KHNs coverage of these topics is supported by Jessica Niesen. This Kaiser Health News story can be republished for free (details). May I ask, who raised you? Was it Barber, the daughter in Florida, who believed Edith needed what she felt was a more reliable living situation? Several close relatives including Ediths brother, Curtis Hubbard, her daughter Barber and two of her granddaughters said in interviews they werent told about the wedding in June 2014 until after the fact, prompting a fresh round of mistrust and recrimination. Omg. Rest in heaven! Somehow Ms. Niesen learned how to be an attorney, while still retaining ignorance and general stupidity. Niesen, in a phone interview, said she is still gathering facts and has an upcoming appointment to meet Hill and Harrison. But that, a judge ruled in February 2014, was impossible unless the home was renovated since the only bathroom was up a steep flight of stairs a significant fall risk for the increasingly frail older woman. Hill's property there is worth about $475,000. The family members I spoke with dont think that was the case. Barber insists that wasnt true and that the couple spoke every day once she was in Florida sometimes multiple times a day. Hill is black and Harrison was white. He lived for her, and she lived for him. Niesen, in a phone interview, said she is still gathering facts and has an upcoming appointment to meet Hill and Harrison. No remorse. Worse attorney. While there are numerous issues to be sorted out, including questions. Harrison stayed in Virginia. Similarly, Wright reportedly declined to let Niesen see Edith or tell her when she was taking Edith to the doctor, according to the appointed guardians court filings. It was meant to be temporary, my grandmothers separation from Eddie, until they were able to place them somewhere together, said Lois Mosby, another granddaughter. How could she lie to this man and not bring his wife back. There was no abuse involved none at all.. Her goal, she said in an interview, was to remove Edith from an unsafe environment, not to separate her from Eddie, who shed invited to join Edith in Florida. I suppose she was making a statement. Just watching this documentary broke my heart all over again. Was the marriage legal? I have only one line: It rebroke me. The Associated Press is reporting a legal dispute in Alexandria, Va., between Hill's daughter Patricia Barber and Barber's sister, Rebecca Wright, who took their mother to marry 95-year-old Eddie Harrison. She knew we collectively disliked her. @judith_graham, By Judith Graham Matthew Barakat/AP Niesen and Barber then went to Ediths townhome and were met by a camera crew waiting to film the ensuing drama as Edith and Eddie lay next to each other in bed, overcome by helplessness and dread a heartbreaking scene shown in the film. But that didnt happen. In a written report filed with the court, she noted with concern that Wright had taken Edith off medications for dementia, hypertension, constipation and osteoporosis. Researchers, product developers, and members of the media are eager to understand the nature of care work and make a difference. Two months later, Caldwell, the geriatric care manager, flew to Florida to perform a follow up evaluation. I was sobbing throughout. Edith and Eddie had met more than a decade before the events depicted in the documentary, when they happened to play the lottery together and ended up sharing $5,000 in winnings. But that, the judge ruled, was impossible unless the home was renovated since the only bathroom was up a steep flight of stairs a significant fall risk for the increasingly frail older woman. Financial issues played a large factor in determining where Hill would live, since one option to pay for her care would have been to sell the home. Wright is Hills daughter. In December 2013, court records show a geriatric care manager determined that Edith required extensive, round-the-clock assistance with all routine activities. In order of likability, best to least: Love Hard, Your Place or Mine and Someon. But the Meltdowns Are Too Much. In January 2014, Yates, 77, gave up guardianship because it was getting to be a bit much and there was a lot of confusion going on, she said, allowing simmering family conflicts to reemerge. Could her distress have been alleviated if she had received reassurance rather than being torn between conflicting factions? Wright says Alexandria is the best place for her mother, and the place that her mother says she wants to spend the rest of her days her church is here, along with her home and other places she loves. Financial issues played a large factor in determining where Hill would live, since one option to pay for her care would have been to sell the home. She, in turn, told him that she did not want him to be an official boyfriend (Dads words, not mine), just a friend who had fun (also Dads words). The recent marriage of two nonagenarians might seem romantic but the family of 96-year-old Edith Hill doesn't think so. And we report on how the health care system hospitals, doctors, nurses, insurers, governments, consumers works. Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and Navigating Agingfocuses on medical issues and advice associated with aging and end-of-life care, helping Americas 45 million seniors and their families navigate the health care system. This short shred my heart into a million pieces. Is it possible to have a significant other while taking care of your parents? Another of Hills daughters, Patricia Barber, contested the marriage, saying it would complicate the eventual distribution of Hills estate. This woman is still a practicing attorney. But as I immersed myself in the details of this case, I found myself reaching a . I seethe now because the one person in Dads family who was this womans friend never told me that detail. Jessica Niesen is the epitome of guardian from hell. In October, Kate Caldwell, a geriatric care manager who had previously evaluated Edith, conducted a home visit. I wanted him to be inour home, surrounded by loved ones, close enough that my Sister could come visit and have a place to stay if she wanted. Was the marriage legal? Learn how your comment data is processed. While there are numerous issues to be sorted out, including questions. #Oscars 2018 #Documentary (Short Subject) Thoughts and Ponderances, Follow Thoughts and Ponderances on WordPress.com. And did not facilitate a memorial service for Edith's husband, Eddie. From what I know, the only way you continue in your profession, it seems to me, is due to others who share the same racist and careless views. There are allegations from one of Ediths daughters about money issues and possession of the family home, as well as insinuations of racism (Edith is black, Eddie is white). It ends months later with the couple being separated by Ediths court-appointed legal guardian, with police on the scene, and Edith taken off abruptly to Florida. That is what you do if you truly love someone. The film also purports to show how guardianship laws fail to protect vulnerable adults, according to a comment on its web site. Please preserve the hyperlinks in the story. KHN is an editorially independent program of the Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonprofit organization based in Menlo Park, Calif., that is dedicated to filling the need for trusted information on national health issues. Niesen, in a phone interview, said she is still gathering facts and has an upcoming appointment to meet Hill and Harrison. He lived for her, wifes daughter says, calling theirs love story of the century, Heartbroken Eddie Harrison caught influenza and died at a hospital Tuesday. Caldwells bottom line conclusion: I recommend Mrs. Hill move to an assisted living community.. If a woman is under guardianship she cannot alter her marital status become married without permission of the court, said Kelly Thompson, a Virginia attorney and immediate past chair of the special needs section of the Virginia Bar Association. Wake up to the day's most important news. Dont miss reporting and analysis from the Hill and the White House. I justcannot. If Niesen finds that the marriage does not benefit Hill or her estate, she can pursue a divorce or annulment. Anger, bitterness, doubt, despair. He bought her dinners, took her places, paid the tabs (I managed his money, I saw the checks and debit card transactions). A 95-year-old newlywed Virginia man has died just weeks after his 96-year-old wife was taken to Florida by family members. But Hill and Harrison said they wanted to stay together. In whore clothes, it would be hard not to. . Pure wickedness and evil. That year, a court declared Edith incompetent and named Yates her legal guardian, according to court records. I started wondering about questions the film failed to address. Edith was gaining weight, getting physical therapy, taking all her medications and was well adjusted, according to her court report. Posturing by lawyers and case filings inevitably dehumanize the elderly and we were not interested in exploring these predictable events.. In a written report filed with the court, she noted with concern that Wright had taken Edith off medications for dementia, hypertension, constipation and osteoporosis. The interracial aspect of the marriage also was unique because the two longtime Virginians would not have been allowed to marry if they had met in their 20s, 30s or 40s under state law at the time. SEE ALL RESULTS.. Youtube Twitter Envelope Twitter Envelope It's not right what is going on., Edith Hill, 96, and 95-year-old Eddie Harrison in their home in Annandale, Va. on Aug. 5, 2014. But that didnt happen. Similarly, Wright reportedly declined to let Niesen see Edith or tell her when she was taking Edith to the doctor, according to the appointed guardians court filings. Health News story can be republished for free ( details ) true and that the marriage not! That year, a court declared Edith incompetent and named Yates her legal guardian, to! 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