Stephen and Shannon on their wedding day in 2017 (Picture: Caters)
Age is just a number for this couple, who married and are trying for a baby despite a 33-year difference.
Shannon Quinn, 41, and her husband, Stephen, 74, from Newport, Wales, met in 2014, bumping into each other at the primary school where Stephen’s children attended and where Shannon worked.
‘As soon as I saw Stephen, I fell in love with him, and he says the same thing happened when he saw me,’ said Shannon.
‘His sexy smile, kind nature, blue eyes, and the way he embraced me the first time we met, made me fall head over heels.’
A whirlwind romance followed and the pair are still madly in love nine years on, but they do have to contend with judgement and misconceptions.
Shannon said: ‘We have a magical relationship, and we don’t care about people who judge us.
‘People always think Stephen’s my dad or my kids’ grandad when we are all out together, but we just totally ignore it.’
Thankfully Shannon’s family are supportive, as Shannon added: ‘He’s only three years younger than my mum and four years younger than my dad. They get on amazingly, so it’s worked out perfectly.’
The pair have been inseparable over the last nine years (Picture: Caters)
Despite Stephen’s advancing years, they’re keen to add a new baby to their family, but have already been turned down for IVF by the NHS.
Shannon said: ‘I would love to have a baby with Stephen. Unfortunately I had to undergo chemotherapy in 2014 for breast cancer.
‘I’m taking my chances though, and I’ve refused to take the after-treatment drug, Tamoxifen, because it brings on early menopause and then I’d not be able to fall pregnant.
‘We’ve already been turned down by the NHS for IVF because we both already have two kids each, but I find this so unfair because we want a family together.’
Shannon says she ‘genuinely needs the help of IVF’ but hasn’t been taking contraception in the hopes she’ll naturally fall pregnant.
‘It’s our dream,’ she added.
Shannon has stopped taking contraception in the hope she’ll fall pregnant naturally (Picture: Caters)
Shannon says the only challenge that comes with their age gap relationship is Stephen being able to keep up with her sexually.
Aside from that, she believes they’re soul mates stating she’d be happy to live on a desert island with just him alone.
The mum continued: ‘My kids weren’t bothered by my relationship with Stephen, they love him like their own father.
‘His kids also love me. We’re like one big happy family.
‘I already had a relationship with his children because they went to the primary school I worked at. They’ve grown up around me and we have an amazing dynamic.
‘It doesn’t matter about age, it’s what’s in the heart that matters. He is my one true love and best friend.
‘We spend all day, every day together and we never get bored or fed up.
‘If anything happened to Stephen, I wouldn’t bother trying to find another relationship because nothing would compare to this.’
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