A COVID-19 vaccination appointment turned into a gay proposal when a man got down on one knee and proposed to his boyfriend at a medical center.
Robbie Vargas-Cortes, 31, is a paramedic in Canton, South Dakota, and he had an appointment to get the COVID-19 vaccine on December 23. His boyfriend of five years, Eric Vanderlee, is a registered nurse at the same medical center where Vargas-Cortes was getting vaccinated.
Related: Lesbian couple’s marriage proposal video goes viral thanks to one really curious kid
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Vargas-Cortes said that he bought a ring three years ago and has been waiting for the right moment.
“We’re nearing the end of the pandemic,” he told CNN. “The vaccine is kind of like a new chapter.”
He taped the ring to his upper arm, and when Vanderlee went to jab him, he found the ring.
“It just kind of dawned on me and I was like, ‘Absolutely, of course, yes.’ It was just an amazing moment after I figured it out,” he said.
Vanderlee then vaccinated his fiance and, within 10 minutes, Vargas-Cortes was out the door responding to a call.
“Congratulations, Eric and Robby!” the medical center posted to its Facebook page.
“If you like it you should put a ring and vaccine on it! Congrats,” said one commenter.
The couple said that they’ve been receiving positivity as local news covered their story.
“South Dakota is a very conservative state. We wouldn’t have had the right to marry without the Supreme Court in 2015,” said Vargas-Cortes. “So to see such an outpouring of support, especially from our fellow South Dakotans, has been uplifting.”
Sanford Health registered nurse gives fellow employee the vaccine, receives surprise in return
Eric Vanderlee, a registered nurse in Canton, South Dakota, has been helping administer the COVID-19 vaccine to local health care workers. But he noticed something strange when he went to give the shot to one fellow Sanford Health employee. Robby Vargas-Cortes, an EMS supervisor and Eric’s boyfriend, had an engagement ring taped to his arm. Robby got his vaccine – and an enthusiastic yes from his now fiancé. Congratulations, Eric and Robby!
Posted by Sanford Health on Thursday, December 31, 2020
