In 2021, a man in China named Chen Zhenfeng went viral after remarrying his ex-wife, Xie Hongxia, when he learned she had end-stage kidney disease.

After finding out that Xie was dying, he chose to step back into her life, saying he couldn’t bear to let her face it alone.

Chen and Xie first met through family and married in 2012. Their early years were full of joy, just a young couple learning to build a life together.

But their marriage soon faced heavy challenges, especially after they went through two miscarriages.

The emotional strain slowly pulled them apart. The heartbreak left them so devastated that even small disagreements turned into daily arguments. Grief left them worn down.

After years of conflict, they made the painful decision to divorce in 2019 and went their separate ways.

Years later, Chen, a Chinese veteran, checked in on his ex-wife and learned she was seriously ill with uremia. Seeing her weak and alone in the hospital broke him.

In that moment, he realized he couldn’t leave her to face it by herself. He wanted to stay and help her live.

At first, Xie refused, explaining she hadn’t remarried because of her illness and feared being a burden.

Chen, however, insisted that true love means standing by someone, especially when life becomes unbearably hard. He was determined to help and care for her.

They had once parted, but adversity brought them back with deeper understanding. Chen didn’t return out of guilt, he returned because he couldn’t let her face life alone.

His decision honored their vow, ‘in sickness and in health; till death do us part,’ showing the true strength of love.