Becky doesn't know how long she has left to live. She desperately wanted to marry her fiancé, Jarrod, though. But with all of her doctors appointments and chemo treatments, it didn't look like a ceremony would ever come together. That is, until the caring hospital staff held a surprise wedding to make her dreams come true!
A year after Becky and Jarrod met, Becky was diagnosed with stage four brain cancer. Doctors immediately operated, and were able to remove the tumor, which was the size of a plum. She enjoyed two cancer-free years with Jarrod. But then the tumor came back.
“It was tough. She had more chemo, more radiation. We always knew it would come back. We’ve known from the beginning this is gonna be what kills her,” Jarrod said.
Becky had surgery again, but with stage four brain cancer, there's no telling how much time she has left. No matter what, Jarrod knew Becky was the woman for him, so he proposed on Valentine's Day.
"I didn't want to waste any time," Jarrod said.
But with the slew of medical treatments, the wedding planning just kept getting pushed back.
“We’ve been trying to plan a wedding and everything kept coming up so we kept having to postpone it,” Becky said.
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Despite the grim outlook, Becky keeps fighting. When originally diagnosed, her doctor said the average survival is 14 to 22 months. That was three years ago.
“I also explained there are miracles, too,” Becky’s neuro-oncologist, Dr. Ashley Sumrall says.
Becky is one of those patients everyone is rooting for.
“Becky’s smile lights up a room and her tears will bring you to your knees," Dr. Sumrall went on to say. "We have watched her experience the ups and downs. Death is inevitable, but how we live life is a choice."
At one of Becky's appointments, Dr. Sumrall delivered some pretty bad news. Understandably, Becky was pretty upset. She wanted to live. And she wanted to get married.
"She whispered that she wanted to have a wedding," Dr. Sumrall recalled. "And I knew we had to make it happen – and fast! My team quickly got behind the cause.”
Doctors, nurses -- everyone at Levine Cancer Institute in Charlotte, North Carolina got on board. On Becky's birthday, they threw her a party and surprised her with a card that was actually an invitation to her own wedding!
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With the help of the community, the hospital staff held a surprise wedding for Becky and Jarrod in a matter of just a few weeks.
St. Mary's Chapel hosted the ceremony, and Olde Mecklenburg Brewery did the same for the reception, all free of charge, so that 60 guests could watch Becky and Jarrod finally tie the knot!
Becky underwent a treatment just days before the big day, and was battling some stroke-like symptoms. As a result, she had to use a wheelchair. But in no way was it a damper on the incredible event!
“Pretty much the happiest moment of my life," Jarrod said. "She looked beautiful.”
Everything from makeup, to food, to photography was donated. Becky's brother is serving in Afghanistan, so he wasn't able to make the wedding. But friends made sure he was there in Spirit! They created a life-sized cutout and the photographer live streamed the ceremony so he was able to watch overseas.
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The event was filled with laughter, love and inevitably some tears.
"The hardest part of the night was our first dance," Jarrod said. "She was in a wheelchair so it was pretty heartbreaking."
No one knows how long Becky and Jarrod have together, but at least they will be able to spend the time they have left as husband and wife.
And all thanks to the caring hospital staff.
“My team and I had the best time preparing for her wedding," Dr. Sumrall said. "She has truly embraced each day as a gift and having the opportunity to impact her life is such an honor.”
h/t: Today