Luther Younger: Come Walk With Me!

New York man walks six miles a day to see his ailing wife at the hospital. He is 99 years old and still has the power of a 50 year old.

A true act of love and kindness in the United States. I salute Luther Younger for the will power and sheer enthusiasm. The Rochester, New York man walks six miles in the heat, rain and snow to see his wife Weverlee at the hospital.

Luther is 99 years old.

Yes.

I said it.

He is nearly 100 years old and he is active. A centenarian who doesn't even look like his age.

Younger's six-mile round-trip journey would be too much for many people half his age. But when you've walked through life with someone for over 55 years, what's another six miles? Luther is sad to leave his love, but he knows that tomorrow, rain or shine, he will be walking to see his "sweet cup of tea" again.

Luther is also a former Marine who fought in the Korean War, and he prides himself on his physical strength.

"People tell me to act my age — yeah, right. They're jealous because I don't drink, I don't smoke, because it's no good. I wouldn't be here [if I did]," he said.

But his daily walk isn't about proving how strong he is. It's about proving his love for Waverlee. "She is a beautiful lady and she treats me as a person is supposed to be ... she made a man out of me," he said. "That's why I love her, because she's tough. She's not weak ... That's the kind of woman I want."

Luther with members of his family.

On the walk he reminisced about his marriage. He said they met in a laundromat and got married at their home, adding that Waverlee looked beautiful on their wedding day. Lutheta is the couple's only child together, but Luther praised Waverlee for helping raise his kids from a previous relationship.

"She wasn't easy. She was the type of person, if you didn't work, you got to go. And I had to work," he told me. "That's why I'm sticking with her, because if it hadn't been for my wife, I wouldn't have made it."

We walked through the University of Rochester campus, and Luther started running again when he spotted the hospital building. I told him to be careful, that it was hot out, but he just said, "Come on, we have to get there." He refused water, and it seemed that the only thing on his mind was Waverlee.

As he made his way through the hospital hallways, Luther said hello to the staff members as he passed by, but didn't stop walking.

When he walked in the door of her hospital room, he said to me, "Watch this ... baby, give me a kiss." He kissed Waverlee, and her eyes fluttered. He is proud his kiss can still make his wife happy after all these years.

"That's my cup of tea, and she's sweet too," Luther said, sitting next to Waverlee's bed.

"He's always called her that," Lutheta told me. "He's always cared about her the way he does [now]. He loves my mom, He'll do anything for her."

Lutheta says she tries to find a ride home for her dad as often as possible, especially when it's hot out. She doesn't like that he walks six miles alone every day, but her dad is adamant and she lets him do it.

"My dad says it keeps him alive, it keeps him going," his daughter said. Lutheta also started a GoFundMe campaign for her parents, to help raise money for Waverlee's hospital expenses.

At the end of the day, Luther leaves the hospital to let Waverlee rest. He gave me a big hug goodbye and told me I was like a granddaughter to him. We just spent the afternoon together, but in Luther's big heart, that practically made me part of his family.