Elderly Sisters Reunite After 8 Years [Video]

Quick Smiles:

• Lone Rybicki, a 73-year-old grandmother, traveled over 500 miles to reunite with her elderly sister, Ingrid Jonsson, 89, after eight years of being apart due to various circumstances including the COVID pandemic and health issues of their husbands.
• Cæcilie Rybicki Ibsen, Lone’s granddaughter, shared a heartwarming video of their journey on TikTok, which has gone viral, capturing the emotions of the reunion and the special bond between the sisters.
• Despite limited mobility and health concerns, Lone and Ingrid were determined to see each other again and have cherished this opportunity to spend time together, sharing stories about their lives and childhoods, knowing it might be their last chance to do so. The story has touched the hearts of many and has been widely shared on social media.

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A heartwarming video posted on TikTok by Cæcilie Rybicki Ibsen, 26, has captured the emotions felt when her grandmother traveled over 500 miles to reunite with her elderly sister for what might be the last time.

The video, which was posted on April 12 and has since gone viral with over 1.4 million views and more than 280,000 likes, shows Ibsen and her 73-year-old grandmother, Lone Rybicki, departing Sonderborg in Denmark to reach Stockholm in Sweden via a connecting flight in Copenhagen.

For eight years, Lone Rybicki hadn’t seen her older sister, Ingrid Jonsson, 89, as both of their husbands fell ill and passed away, and the COVID pandemic temporarily halted all travel plans. Both senior women now have limited mobility, leaving them struggling to walk very far, but they were determined to meet up again and be reunited.

In the viral TikTok post, Ibsen wrote, “We had to make the journey before it was too late. This might be one of the last chances they get to spend time together.” Ibsen, the youngest of six siblings, explained that four of her siblings had moved to Sweden a long time ago, and traveling was never an issue before. However, when one of her sisters became gravely ill in 2022, she passed away before Rybicki could say goodbye, prompting them to make the decision to travel to Sweden to meet their remaining sisters.

“All of my grandmother’s life she has traveled to Sweden to visit her sisters. They have always been very close,” Ibsen shared. “Last year, one of the sisters got very sick and my grandmother knew that if she had to see her one last time, it needed to be then. But as we were looking at flights, her sister took her last breath and passed away. She was devastated and heartbroken.”

@cillerybicki My grandmother hasn’t seen her older sister for years. They are both old and it is a long trip. But we had to do it, before it was too late. ❤️‍🩹#reunion #reunited #sister #sisters #sistergoals #sisterlylove #love #grandma #hearttouching #heartwarming #fyp #foryou #foryoupage #loving #travel #traveling #life #lifeline ♬ the winner takes it all – november ultra

Despite her grandmother’s fear of making the long journey with her ailing health, as soon as they landed in Copenhagen, her excitement was undeniable. Ibsen returned to Copenhagen for work, but her grandmother is staying in Sweden until May to allow the sisters around six weeks together.

“It’s been 8 years since they last met. They hadn’t seen each other all this time because there were a lot of things that got in the way. Both of their husbands have been sick with Alzheimer’s and cancer and passed away,” Ibsen shared.

“My grandmother told me that this visit has been different from any other time she visited. They’ve talked more about their lives and childhoods, almost like they’re tying the knot. I think deep down they know that this might be the last opportunity to say things to each other and talk about things they hadn’t spoken about sooner.”

The heartwarming video has touched the hearts of many on TikTok, with thousands of comments expressing empathy and sharing their own stories about their grandparents.

“I didn’t expect it to go viral when I posted it. People have been really nice and it’s so touching that this story made so many people cry. I’m thankful that I got to share this,” Ibsen said.

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Source: Newsweek