"Have you ever come across someone in your life that made you stop dead in your tracks and say, 'Wow, what an amazing person!'"

Those were Carrie Lewis Deaves first words when she began to tell me about one of her Neighbourhood Heroes, 90-year-old John Bell, a retired chiropractor, who she says is probably the greatest husband in the world.

Carrie met John a few years ago when she was hired as a care aid to work with his wife, Dorothy, who has both cancer and dementia. After 40 years of marriage, it was a terrible shock for John when Dorothy was diagnosed with colon cancer; his first wife died of the same disease after just 20 years of marriage.

For the past four years since Dorothy was diagnosed, John has always been there to take care of her every need. With help from Carrie and other care aids, he has done the cooking and shopping, run all of the errands, and always been there to offer company and comfort.

Nothing could slow him down, not even when he injured his back and knee helping Dorothy up after a fall. He simply had his chiropractor come in three times a day for adjustments and kept going.

"When he cooked," Carrie told me, "he cooked full on meals, and he always made sure she had her desert - Her favourite was frozen peach yogurt. I'll swear John had a freezer full of frozen peach yogurt. There was no chance he would ever run out."

Carrie couldn't stop talking about John's total commitment to Dorothy. The words "commitment" and "devotion" seemed to appear in at least every second sentence, and Dorothy's sister confirmed that that commitment and devotion has always been there.

"John has spoiled her since the day he met her," she laughs.

But then last July, for the first time in his life, John had to go into the hospital, and Dorothy moved into Trillium House, a care facility. After his surgery John moved to Trillium House for a few weeks as well, but now that he's home, he visits Dorothy every afternoon. And, as hard as it is to leave her there each day, he knows that's best for both of them.

After hearing Carrie praise this man so much, I had to speak to him myself, and as soon as he answered the phone I could hear his energy and positive attitude.

How do you remain so energetic at ninety? I asked. His answer was simple, "Take your own medicine." Then he went on to explain what he meant by that.

As a child John suffered terribly with asthma, and in those days there was little or nothing they could do to help him. Then, when he was ten years old, a chiropractor moved into his community and after the first few visits, he began to feel better, and his good health continued.

"I decided right then," he enthused, "that if this man could do that for me, I was going to try to help people too."

He started his practice in 1938 in Vancouver.

As I ended my conversation with Carrie, John's biggest fan, I asked her to tell me, in just a few words, what she admires most about this man.

"John is the most devoted husband one could ever want," she said and then paused for a moment. "His outlook on life is so positive ... He's got a face you'd never forget ... and I admire him ... He's taught me how important it is to be completely devoted to your spouse."

After hearing that I'm thinking Carrie's husband ought to be buying John a very expensive gift!