It has been just over two years since TV and radio personality Amanda Keller revealed her husband Harley was living with Parkinson’s disease – a diagnosis he had managed privately for six years.
At the time, speaking on the Double A Chattery podcast, the former Living Room host said the discovery had left them “completely numb”.
“This has impacted him and us and the way we live our lives in many different ways,” she said.
On February 16, Keller shared a deeply personal Valentine’s Day story on the Jonesy & Amanda show – one that left many listeners in tears.
“You know, we’re just talking about Valentine’s Day. And for those of you that are new to this show, you may not know that my husband has a neurological disorder,” Amanda told co-host Brendan ‘Jonesy’ Jones.
“He’s got a form of Parkinson’s and he’s had it for a number of years now, and it’s really hard that he’s always been a giant brainiac and not only does this stuff affect you physically, but neurologically as well,” she continued.
“And so I’ve learned that sometimes those big events like birthdays, Valentine’s Day, anniversaries, our easy banter, our easy chat, our easy being with each other isn’t as easy.”
The couple have been married 36 years. Keller said she has “learned not to get upset” when she doesn’t “get back what I want” emotionally on milestone days.
On Valentine’s Day morning, she wrote her husband a card.
“He said ‘Happy Valentine’s Day’. And then for some reason I said, ‘yes, it’s Valentine’s Day’. I just, you know, I couldn’t help myself. And I looked at him in the face and said, ‘you know what I’m telling you, it’s Valentine’s Day’.
“And he said, ‘yeah, Happy Valentine’s Day’.”
Later, after returning from walking the dog, Keller found a bouquet of flowers on the kitchen bench.
“He obviously got someone to help him with that,” she said. “And his handwriting is so scrawly now, but there was a little card that said, ‘Please be my Valentine’s forever’.”
Her voice cracked as she continued.
“And I just thought, when we’re just talking about the effort… You know, is the effort more than the thought, any effort from him like that just means so much to me. It’s a big deal.”
She later showed the flowers and card to their sons.
“In the midst of all of this, he knew that that would matter to me, and that’s why he did that.”
Many listeners shared their own experiences of illness and enduring love.
“My dad had Parkinson’s. He got his shaving cream and sprayed it in love hearts on the windows for her one year. My heart cracked wide open. ❤️ And again now,” one wrote.
Another shared: “OMG Amanda you had me in tears. My mother who suffered from Vascular Dementia was going downhill in her last stages. The last birthday card she tried so hard to write her last handwritten message to me, I still have it.”
“Made me cry, Amanda. So many people dealing with health pitfalls that life throws at us. We need to cherish every day, every hug, every look, every chat ( no matter how trivial) while our loved ones are still with us. Glad you got your Valentine love from your darling. ❤️” another added.
Keller has previously spoken about noticing early signs of illness, including her husband dragging his foot and experiencing shaking hands.
“At the beginning, I was cross with him,” she said in a 2023 interview. “I thought, ‘Why isn’t he fighting it?’ But I’ve come to see you can’t control this. I’ve become kinder and sadder.”
In May 2025, speaking on her wedding anniversary, she reflected again on their life together.
“It’s my wedding anniversary today. And in the old days, Harley and I would have been going out to dinner tonight. But he’s not well enough to do that,” she said.
“In sickness and in health. And yet that’s where we are. [You have] no concept of what that means until you’re living it.
“And I kind of fluctuate between taking great pride in the fight that we are alongside each other, and the strength that it takes to get up every day and still fight it and still live it”
Images: Instagram
