What started as a blind date turned into 50 years of marriage — Nina and John Opella were inseparable.
But in 1984, Nina's dear husband started having some challenges.
"He said when he would look, it would look like he was looking through a chain-linked fence," she recalled. "We took him to the doctor and they said it's just optical neuritis."
But his health problems gradually got worse. He was eventually diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. A stroke followed a few years later.
John stayed at the Senior Care at Denton nursing home for five years until he lost his battle with MS.
In January of this year, Opella got a bill from the nursing home that showed they owed her money.
"I was owed $1,017.06," she said.
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Opella said she was told they'd process her refund. But after two weeks, she didn't hear from anyone. Another month later, her patience was running thin.
"Why aren't you getting back to me? If you're not going to get back to me, don't lie to me. I don't like to be lied to," she said. "I'm a determined old person. I don't give up. I was owed this. You told me I was owed this. Now, give it to me."
But when she realized she wasn't getting very far, she decided to call NBC 5 Responds.
We reached out to the nursing home. They said due to HIPAA privacy laws, they couldn't share any details or even confirm her husband was a patient of theirs.
But not long after we called, Opella received a check for $1,017.06.
She plans on using that money to take her husband to his native land near Prague.
"I'm going to bury him there. Take him home," she said.
