Yes. But it is not the romance of Hallmark or Shonda Rhimes. It is the romance of two people who have seen the fragility of the human body and decided to hold each other anyway.

It’s rarely as sexy as it looks. Usually, it’s five minutes of stolen sleep and a lukewarm cup of coffee.

For decades, the collision of love and medicine in literature, film, and television has been governed by the "illness narrative" trope. In these stories, medical conditions exist primarily as plot devices designed to manufacture tragedy (e.g., Love Story , The Fault in Our Stars ). When Assistive Medical Products (AMPs)—defined broadly here as any device, technology, or regimen that assists or augments bodily function (hearing aids, prosthetics, insulin pumps, CPAP machines)—are introduced, they are often framed as obstacles to traditional romance.

Couples who survive a hospital shooting or a plane crash together often become the "endgame" pair, as no one else can understand their shared history. The Conflict of Interest