Platinum wedding anniversary for Blacktown nurses

Finding love in a workforce with unpredictable shifts takes an extra layer of planning.

Michelle suspected Greg might ask her on a date, after she spied him in the tearoom comparing rosters. 

“I remember sitting at tea one night and I saw he had the roster and was looking for a day we both had off. He didn’t know that I knew,”

Said Michelle. 

Greg insists he wasn’t trying to get caught, but Michelle had a keen eye on Greg. 

“I could see it wasn’t going to happen the next weekend, it would be a few weeks away,”

Said Greg. 

Set up by a fellow midwife and colleague, the pair set off for a meal at a local Blacktown restaurant before heading to the movies to see rom com Suddenly 30. It was 2004.

Michelle started her career at Blacktown Hospital as a student midwife in five years earlier in 1999, when she met Greg Gallagher who was working on the same ward. 

After two years dating, Greg proposed to Michelle on New Years Day in 2006 and they married a few months later. 
The pair say their shared experience in nursing and working at the same hospital has helped to fortify their relationship.

“Because we’ve worked as nurses and midwives, we have knowledge of the work we do in the years we’ve been together,” Greg said. 

Michelle agrees it provides a layer of understanding.

“We can understand where each other is coming from. Even though we don’t discuss specifics, but you can talk about situations and share knowledge,” Michelle said. 

“The fact we were friends first and then entered into a relationship, as well as our common faith, helped us to stand that test of time.”  
Greg says he draws on experience to ground himself when times are challenging. 

“When life is not perfect as a married couple, I draw on experience and work out how to keep going forward,” he said. 

The couple prefer to celebrate their wedding anniversary but like to exchange a red rose on Valentine’s Day, just as they did when they got married.  

Happy Valentine’s Day to Greg and Michelle.