Jane Hawking former wife of Stephen Hawking talks about how living with the famous scientist almost made her suicidal
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Stephen Hawking was diagnosed with neurone disease at the young age of 22 just one month after meeting Jane, the woman who went on to be his wife for 26 years.
He was given just two years to live but that didn't deter Jane committing herself to the man she felt was the love of her life.
"I loved Stephen and wanted to do my best for him, so I thought I could easily devote two years of my life to help someone.... who had so much potential", but life quickly turned out to be more difficult than she imagined.
The challenges she faced as his wife were detailed in her book
" Travelling to Infinity" which the movie is based. Most difficult was getting her husband to come to terms with his illness and use a wheel chair, the book revealed how her husband became remote and impossible, making a good deal of their lives together a misery.
"I will be going out with Stephen on one arm, carrying the baby on the other hand and the toddler running alongside..."
Jane's strong Christian faith and her friendship with choirmaster Jonathan Hellyer who went on to become a family friend made things bearable.
Stephen and Jane eventually got divorced in 1991 and he married his carer Elaine Mason while Jane later went on to marry her friend Hellyer whom she describes as a rock.
Jane said she felt compelled to write her book because she wanted a proper documentation of her life with Stephen and didn't want any one inventing stories about them later on in life
Jane and Stephen remain good friends despite all the acrimony surrounding their divorce.
Jane in my opinion deserves some special recognition because I think if not for her love and care Stephen would not have had the will to birth his brilliant theories.
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