I went with my disabled ex-husband and his boyfriend to see Bette Midler on Wednesday 15 July at First Direct Arena in Leeds. Â This is the story of how this evolved.
My boyfriend had bought for me and him 2 Meet and Greet tickets in November last year for the Divine Intervention show at Leeds First Direct Arena in July 2015. I bought my ex-husband a ticket also, as a Christmas present, for the same show. He has a real problem walking due to muscle wastage in his legs, so I got a ticket in the row behind so we could help him on the day of the concert.
Unfortunately my boyfriend hung himself in January following an extremely stressful time for him.
I eventually offered his Meet and Greet ticket to my ex-husband as he was going to the concert anyway. Because of the problems with his legs he was worried he would not be able to stand for long periods and asked me if his boyfriend could have the Meet & Greet ticket instead of him. So that is what we did.
We got to the venue in Leeds and the staff there were so helpful, getting a chair for him to sit on, organising a wheelchair to take him down to his seat, letting him stay near us although he didn’t have a Meet & Greet ticket. We didn’t want to leave him too far from us as he gets quite agitated when out of his comfort zone. The Arena staff organised with the Bette Midler tour people that after the show he could sit just outside the Meet and Greet room so he wasn’t too far from us.
When it was my turn to meet Bette and have my picture taken, I told her this story, how I came to be there with my ex-husband’s boyfriend! I also told her that he was very shaky on his feet and that he was sat just outside. She was somewhat shocked at what I had told her and looked at how many people were left for her to see in the queue/line and said to me “There are only a couple more people to see, I’ll pop out and see him.” I was absolutely taken aback by her kindness! I threw my arms around her and said ”˜You Angel!’ and gave her a huge hug!
What happened next had my ex-husband in tears. She must have arranged for her people to take him in to the Meet and Greet room, because they came outside and asked John (my ex-husband) to go with them; the next we knew he was with Bette, she was holding his hand and she was talking to him about what I had said and then she had her picture taken with him!! When they brought him out, he was in tears! So was I!
I have contacted First Direct Arena to thank the staff for their kindness and help on the day of the show. I have also contacted Bette’s management to ask them to thank Bette for her kindness to John. I just want her to know she made an elderly disabled man very, very happy, although he cried! They were happy tears!
I knew Bette Midler was lovely and now I know what a hugely kind person she is to do this for someone!
