I look after my wife’s ex – they were teen sweethearts but now I’m his legal guardian…loving her means loving him too
A NEW husband has devoted himself to caring after his wife’s critically disabled ex and even became his legal guardian.
When James Armstrong, 36, decided to marry Kris, 38, she gave him one unusual condition.
Kris told James that her high-school sweetheart and ex-husband, Brandon, 38, would have to be part of their lives.
Kris and Brandon got married in 2006, but their happiness was short-lived after Brandon got into a horrible car accident just two years later.
Brandon suffered severe brain damage which left him mentally and physically disabled and unable to fend for himself.
The devoted wife continued to care for her husband for years, but eventually decided to move on with her life and asked for divorce.
But she couldn’t give up on Brandon, and filed paperwork to become his legal guardian instead.
When James met Kris, he was aware of the unconventional arrangement he was going into and welcomed Brandon with open arms and mind.
His love for Kris translated onto Brandon and James took on all the responsibility of caring for the ex-husband.
James told CBS Mornings: “It’s not just loving her, it’s loving Brandon, too.
“He needs us. He needs people that love him.”
Together the couple look after Brandon from feeding, changing and bathing him to taking him to medical appointments.
Kris said: “I think in the physicality of him helping Brandon, that’s one piece.
“The fact that we change Brandon together, I can do it by myself but it’s very, very hard.
“James helps me, that is such a gift of love.”
Brandon lives in a nursing facility and gets visited by Kris and James regularly.
The couple’s two kids also dote on Brandon, calling him an “uncle”.
Kris documented their heartwarming story on her TikTok account with the video gaining over 4.5 million views.
Kris, who has been caring for Brandon for 15 years, said her former husband’s short-term memory has been severely impacted.
This has led to Brandon forgetting that James is his ex-wife’s new husband.
But she assured that both men adore each other, and in Brandon’s eyes he has one more person who truly cares for him.
James’s love for Brandon is so deep, he is willing to care for Brandon even if Kris isn’t in the picture anymore.
“I also told her if anything happens to her or she passes away, I will fight for guardianship. He will have another advocate,” James said.
And if there was a chance for Brandon to recover, James wouldn’t hesitate to give his marriage up.
He told Kris: “If some miracle treatment happens for people with a brain injury and Brandon can be healed, I would want you to be with him, you were with him first.”
But Kris replied: “And I don’t think that’s gonna happen, but just the fact that, you’re a very special person, you really are.”
James went on to add that he believes his touching gesture is the right thing to do.
He said: “I do what my heart tells me to do.”