Maria and Catalin’s relationship has received a lot of criticism, but they genuinely love each other and want to prove that there is nothing unnatural about their love.
Catalin suffers from a rare disease called spinal muscular atrophy, which causes a gradual loss of the motor nerve cells in the spinal cord. The destruction of the nerve cells leads to gradual muscle weakness and atrophy in the associated muscles. Maria first came across Catalin’s profile on social media in 2019 and was immediately struck by Catalin’s artistic ability and how open he was about his condition.
Maria was the one who made the first move and after a few introductory messages, their relationship developed incredibly quickly. “Things went from liking to love in less than three weeks for me… We moved in together and now we are living together,” says Maria.
Catalin needs constant care, and Maria is happy to provide it. She has been taking care of Catalin practically since they started living together, while also working and continuing her studies.
But not everyone understands and accepts their relationship. Initially, Maria’s parents were skeptical, but after Maria and Catalin moved in together, they finally accepted their relationship. However, the couple also receive a lot of negative comments from strangers. Many accuse Maria of being with him for his money or to get attention, and she has even been accused of wasting her life.
The couple created a joint profile on social media to show their relationship to the world because they want people to accept their love.
“The people that don’t agree with our relationship should try to see more than his disability, to see that our relationship is not just about caring for Catalin; it is much, much more than this. I want people to say that couples like us exist and we can have fulfilling and happy lives,” says Maria.
The couple, who live in Maramures, Romania, are already planning to get engaged and both say they complement each other perfectly and are very happy together.