A disabled woman who has been in a wheelchair since she was 10 has revealed her family did not trust her boyfriend’s intentions when they started dating, adding that the troubled couple regularly receive hate from trolls online.
Maureen Kartika29, and her boyfriend, Rio, have been dating for 15 years and they have now opened up about how they made others believe their love was genuine.
The Indonesia-based couple also shared how they deal with negative comments that question why they are together and whether they really care about each other.
In a video on the Truly YouTube account, the lovebirds showed how Rio helps Maureen with everyday tasks and how the couple stays positive despite facing so much hate.
Maureen Kartika, 29, and her boyfriend Rio have been dating for 15 years and now open up about how they made others believe their love was genuine.
Maureen has been in a wheelchair since she was 10 and has revealed that her family didn’t trust her boyfriend’s intentions when they started dating
The Indonesia-based couple also shared how they deal with negative comments questioning why they are together and whether they really care about each other
Maureen was born with a weak motor system and when she was just 10 years old, she was diagnosed with scoliosis.
She said: ‘I used to cry all the time. Like, “Why can’t I walk?” But now I think my body is beautiful!’
Maureen also has pneumonia, so she has to wear a tracheostomy tube to help her breathe.
Maureen and Rio first met in 2006 through an online gaming community. After they met, Maureen told Rio about her disability.
Rio said: ‘At first I was a bit shocked because I don’t know anyone with a disability.’
However, Rio is now more in love with Maureen than ever.
Rio helps carry Maureen out of bed and into her wheelchair, cooks and feeds her and makes her feel ‘beautiful’.
And while the couple is happy in the relationship now, Maureen’s family didn’t approve of Rio at first.
She noted that people often think that the non-disabled person wants something or claim that the disabled person must be rich
Maureen was born with weak motor skills and was diagnosed with scoliosis at the age of ten
Rio helps carry Maureen out of bed and into her wheelchair, cooks and feeds her and makes her feel ‘beautiful’
Maureen’s brother Eric said he initially didn’t “trust” or “believe” Rio’s intentions were good.
Eric told Truly, “Maureen is different from the others, so I’m a little overprotective of her.
‘At first I didn’t really trust or believe Rio. I mean (I thought that was possible) a different intention. Is he really in love with my sister?’
Eric also said he was concerned about the two meeting online because he wasn’t sure how Rio would take the news that Maureen was disabled.
‘In the beginning I had a lot of concerns and a lot of questions. I needed to know more about Rio’s intentions.
“Does he really care about you or are there other things he wants from you? Like you were both teenagers and I thought maybe it was just a little crush.
“But as time went by, I saw how he loves and cares for her.
“They have a good relationship,” he added.
The couple also spoke about the negative comments they receive from trolls online.
Maureen’s brother Eric said he initially didn’t “trust” or “believe” Rio’s intentions were good
However, they soon proved the family wrong as Eric now trusts Rio
The lovebirds noted that they don’t mind the negative comments because they love each other
“There are a lot of stigmas about couples hooking up.” Maureen said.
She noted that people often think that the non-disabled person wants something or claim that the disabled person must be rich.
“One comment said that I had to ‘let him go’ because ‘he deserves better, deserves a girl who can help him, serve him and be his wife.’
Some of the responses they’ve received include: “This can’t be real.”
“You just know she has money,” and “What is he getting out of this arrangement.”
However, the lovebirds noted that they don’t take into account the negative comments because they love each other.
“A good couple is not impossible because when there is love, anything is possible,” Maureen said.
In the past, another couple opened up about their sex life and how their intimacy has changed in the three years since they tied the knot.
Shane and Hannah Burcaw, from Minnesota, have long documented the dynamics of their romance after coming under scrutiny when Hannah started dating Shane, who was born with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a neuromuscular disease that causes muscles in deteriorate over time. has been in an electric wheelchair since he was two years old.
