How exactly we came across: ‘I’d this surge of adrenaline. I simply had to learn her’ | Life and magnificence |

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ndrew Bone was being employed as a truck motorist your
Overseas Panel in the Red Cross
in 1993, distributing as well as medication to war-torn areas of Bosnia. At the end of the year, he travelled to Sarajevo to pay for for the next staff member. “it absolutely was a desperate scenario to travel into,” he states. “I became whisked directly towards organisation’s head office in a bullet-proof land-rover.” This is where the guy identified Tanja Todorovic for the first time. “I got this rise of adrenaline. I simply felt that I got to reach understand the girl. It sounds like a silly fairytale but it is genuine.”

At the time, Tanja had been being employed as a senior area officer your foundation. Andrew got the chance to communicate with the woman precisely whenever they were delivered to deliver aid to property if you have learning disabilities. “Andy ended up being thus compassionate to people just who lived here,” says Tanja. “He was good looking as well. All this work lengthy, gothic, curly hair. It is all eliminated now, needless to say,” she laughs.

Quickly afterward, Tanja must visit soft for a-work purpose and requested Andrew become the woman motorist. “The road back was actually shelled although we were there,” he says. “We finished up having to spend evening in Pale. We’d products with each other and that is the night we started our very own relationship.”

A month or more later on, Andrew’s cover came to a conclusion and he had been sent back to Zagreb. “I found myself distraught. I went along to the radio room and begged the operators to let me speak to their.” They informed him it absolutely was impossible. “ultimately though they stated they certainly were nipping out for coffee and I was capable of getting your hands on Tanja to inform her we cherished their.”

Quickly afterwards, Tanja visited Zagreb to meet up Andrew. “I got a Red Cross passport, which intended I became capable take a trip out from the war area,” she explains. They mentioned the ongoing future of their unique union and whether Tanja should come back to Sarajevo. They knew they desired to end up being together together with huge decisions to create.

The situation had been complex by undeniable fact that these people were both married during the time. “My marriage was not working out and Tanja was actually divided however it was really difficult,” states Andrew. “in those days, Britain had been sympathetic to refugees via Bosnia, therefore we decided it might be better to appear here and start to become with each other, away from the war.”

Tanja requested asylum and also the set managed to wed at the conclusion of 1994, once their own divorces had been finalised. “when i got long leave to stay and in 1999 i obtained my Brit citizenship,” she states.

During the next several years, they relocated across UK, residing Norfolk, London, Leicester and Scotland. Andrew persisted working as a truck driver, while Tanja took on different roles such as working for the
Refugee Council
and opening an organic fresh fruit and vegetable store in Leicester.

In 2004, she went back to institution to teach as a nursing assistant plus the pair moved to London. But they shortly realised they certainly weren’t ready to prevent discovering. “From 2009 to 2019, we travelled across UK by boat, moving from place to place,” claims Tanja. They worked whenever they needed seriously to and loved their unique nomadic lifestyle.

Whenever Andrew turned into sick with disease 18 months ago, they moved to a long-term base in Dumbarton, Scotland. “I feel truly lucky to have had these types of wonderful treatment at the hands of the NHS. I’d some surgical procedure prior to lockdown and now believe Im cancer-free,” he says. Tanja continues to be being employed as a nurse, therefore the pair currently taking pleasure in each day walks with each other. “We like the countryside right here,” claims Tanja. “if it is secure, we will get back to climbing inside Highlands.”

It has been 26 decades because they came across, but Andrew states he or she is much more crazy than before. “she’s my personal best friend and my personal every thing. Absolutely nothing has changed for me considering that the second we met.” Tanja feels exactly the same. “Meeting both was truly life-changing. Oahu is the ideal thing that’s actually ever occurred for either folks.”

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