He was a fairy tale Marriage. When 32-year-old Emma Rice learned she had just a few months to live after being diagnosed with terminal stage 4 ovarian cancer, her people arranged the perfect wedding with her childhood sweetheart. She married 34-year-old Dava Rice on April 29, and local businesses in Britain provided the venue, cake, photography and other amenities for free.
“The wedding day lived up to my expectations and exceeded what I thought was possible,” Emma told SWNS. “I felt like a princess that day.”
The couple met through mutual friends when Emma was 16 and Dava was 17. Since then they have been together and have three children: David Jn, 11, Keeley-Mae, 10, and Ariela, 6.
“It was the best moment of my life,” Dava said of the wedding. “My heart hasn’t gotten over that day – I’m still living it now,” he continued. “She finally had the day she deserved.”
Emma started showing symptoms in February 2021. She noticed that her vagina was bleeding profusely and was also in pain. At first, doctors assumed her birth control implant had moved to the wrong place because she was “too young” to be anything else. He then sought out a specialist, who, after further tests, discovered he had cancer.
“When the specialist looked at her cervix, he said he had never seen one that wasn’t Cancer”, Dava recalls.
Doctors diagnosed stage 3 cervical cancer, while the first dose of chemotherapy reportedly damaged her liver. Five weeks of radiation therapy followed. Despite all this, the pair were optimistic about her prognosis – but when she went for tests in January, their worlds were ‘shattered’ when they learned the cancer had spread.
“We asked how long it had been and were told about a year – our whole world collapsed”Dava admitted.
She explained that they had always dreamed of getting married, but certain things got in the way, like finances. “But I was determined to marry her while I still could,” he explained.
So Emma’s best friend Louise Bell, 29, organized a fairytale wedding. He approached local businesses and many of them offered their services for free. Emma’s family also helped out, with her grandmother, Mari Clarke, paying for the wedding rings.
“I’m overwhelmed and proud to be part of a community coming together to help those in need,” Emma told SWNS.
The cake, food and photos were provided free of charge, along with the venue. “We couldn’t have done it all with Louise’s help – she’s been incredible and we’re so grateful,” said Dava. “Emma did amazing, even though she was tired.”
“It was really hard for the kids to see their mom get sick, but they were so strong,” she continued. “Emma and I are so proud of them and we’re making the most of the time we have left together.”
Emma is being treated at Clatterbridge Hospital in Liverpool, where her husband and family visit her often. She is determined to share her story and raise awareness about ovarian cancer and its symptoms.
“I suffered physically in ways I never knew were possible – my life and my family were taken from me,” she said. “But if I can raise public awareness to save even one woman from what is needlessly destroying them and those around them, then I’m happy to be a part of this fight.”
Source: News Beast
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