Every girl for once in her life might have thought of how her wedding day should be. She has had the dreams of celebrating the big day of her life in a manner, no less large than life. Walking down the aisle, wearing that white gown paired with a complementing veil and holding that bouquet of flowers, just imagining this scene can leave behind a big smile on a woman's face.
A wedding is a bliss that is sealed with a kiss. It's the day everyone looks up to. Laurin too had dreams, she has been planning her dream wedding since long. And just when she was about to get married, the harsh reality surfaced her for once again. Will the wedding of her dreams fruit into reality or will it be a dream too hard to live?
She was a romantic and delicate hearted since a young age. She has been living the life which was no different than a fairy tale. When she found the love of her life, she realized that she wants to spend the rest of her life with him, she couldn't wait for her that life to start as soon as possible. Her happiness knew no boundaries as her wedding date came closer, but that happiness soon only faded away when she received a phone call.
Laurin Long was in her mid-twenties. She was a resident of South Carolina. Life was beautiful to her. She was an ambitious woman, after completing the studies she looked for various career options. Soon only she found a good job and went ahead with it. When the life was blossoming at its best she was gifted with another reason to be thankful for it.
Michael Bank was 34 years when he first met Laurin. He had a job and was residing in South Carolina only. He was a man full of adventure. He has always loved traveling and hiking and trekking expeditions. To him, meeting Laurin was no less than an adventure. Little did the guy know that he will actually have to face life as bravely as he had been facing all the adventures.
Laurin and Michael met over a dating website called, Plenty of Fish. Back around the beginning of the 21st century, this website popularised among the young and teen blood. They would register themselves up on it and would look for their possible date. Laurin and Michael too did the same not knowing that they would meet the person in their life who would change it forever.
In the couple's word, it all started with a message. Mike says that he was completely clean bowled when he saw her smile. "The smile that she adorned in her profile picture, attracted me to her profile," says Mike. It was Mike who messaged her first and their conversation took from some random messages to more flirtatious ones. The duo didn't realize when their messaging game took over their hearts.
Laurin recalls how after sharing a few texts only the duo wanted to know more an more about each other. There was a very different kind of inquisitiveness that compelled them to know each other more and more. The pair started talking over call for hours and hours. As if talking to each other became a routine. When things seemed to be perfect, the duo had to face a part of their past life which they weren't prepared for.
After talking for days, Mike and Laurin could not find any reason to meet in person. They were already so much into each other that not meeting each other in person was something they could not resist. They decided to meet over a cup of coffee. Laurin in a teasing manner even asks Mike if it was a date? They both chuckled and were looking forward to their "first-ever-meet".
Laurin and Michael for the first time met in person over a cup of coffee. Though they have seen each other in pictures, meeting in real was altogether a different feel. Their date wasn't any pre-planned lavish affair but was a very normal one. However, the only thing special about it was, the duo knew they wanted to meet again and again.
Laurin and Michael were sure after their first meet that they were meant for each other. They could connect on an instant and their thinking and ways to life were similar. That was it. They both were impressed by each other and somehow could see their soulmates in each other face. While love was in the air, they both shared something not so great about their past lives as well.
The time when Mike and Laurin grew close, Laurin was diagnosed with stage two of breast cancer. She was sure that as her health condition is this critical, Mike would refuse for a future together. Cancer is often referred to as the incurable disease where the chances of the person making to survival are thin. Laurin asked herself, why would he fall in love with me on knowing that my life is uncertain. What would be Michael's reaction to this?
Laurin gathered all her courage and decided to break this news to Mike in their next meeting. And when she told Mike, as expected Michael was taken aback. He was shocked to hear that the girl he was possibly falling in love with was a patient of the deadly disease. Laurin knew somewhere that Mike would break their relation and she was prepared for it. Mike said, "We'll Fight Together".
The much-in-love pair didn't call their relationship off. Mike was ready to accept Laurin in her condition as well. He even helped Laurin with her chemotherapy sessions, during this phase Laurin could see the caring side of Mike. Mike accepted the fact that her illness was a part of Laurin and despite it, he was seeing her in his present and future. Would this illness shatter their dreams?
Michael made visiting Laurin's oncologist a part of their dates. For some three-four months, they both diligently paid the visit to the doctor and finally, it was in the year 2015 that the oncologist reported that Laurin has defeated the disease. And surprisingly every single germ causing Cancer has been killed. It meant she was perfectly healthy. However, unfortunately, their happiness was short-lived.
Mike and Laurin were very happy realizing that they have together fought with Laurin's Cancer. The duo was now looking forward to their future together. They were excited to coordinate with each other's life and relish their time together. The couple had prepared a checklist for the things they wanted to do together not knowing that they would turn into their assumptions.
Laurin and Michael were seeing each other for a couple of years now. And in those years they have explored the world together. They traveled to Arizona, Colorado, and Texas, Cancun and the Bahamas. While life was going all well till now, it soon took to extraordinary with their next trip.
The next place the couple visited was Niagra Falls. They have traveled half of the world together and this trip was no different. They started loving their companionship and cherished spending time together. To them, life was just missing one thing to be perfect. And with this trip, the perfect thing happened, the unexpected also paved in.
Mike knew that Laurin has always dreamt of everything in the fairy tale manner and so taking her dream forward, Mike proposed to her at the Niagara Falls. Mike just like the prince on a white horse went on his knees and presented the much-awaited proposal to Laurin."Can we keep this party going? Will you marry me"? asked a voice and Laurin obviously had no other choice than accepting it.
This happily ever after fairy tale soon had to face the wizards of the witchcraft in real.
Laurin and Michael announced this great news to their respective families. Now that they were engaged, Laurin was over the moon while planning out her dream wedding. She would go shopping for clothes for her wedding and then she would look for various invitation card options and a lot more. When the duo decided the wedding date, nothing auspicious came along but the harsh past struck breaking the dreams.
The wedding date was finalized as for March 24, 2018. It was exactly the same date when the duo met for the first time some three years back. This day demanded celebration and what could be better than celebrating the date as your wedding date. And as the celebrations began, the unexpected knocked the doors.
Everything was finalized. Things were shopped and placed in the right positions. Caterers booked, Wedding dresses tailored, invites printed and the wedding bells were ringing. It was the month of August and only a few months to the wedding were left when a phone call rang which made everything take a standstill.
The phone call was from Laurin's oncologist. Laurin had been visiting her for the routine check-ups and one of the test reports doesn't seem to be normal. The deviations in the medical reports bothered the doctor and she had no other choice than calling Laurin. Laurin along with Mike rushed to the hospital to visit the concerned physician.
The oncologist informed the couple that the recent test reports indicate that Laurin's Cancer had returned. To make sure that things were under control some more test was conducted. And things weren't any good. The matters were worse than before.
This time Laurin was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer. And the infection had spread to her bones and was about to reach her lungs. Things were almost out of control and the doctors were running out of time and Laurin immediately had to begin with her chemo sessions and even undergo a few surgeries.
Laurin broke to the extreme this time. Her dream wedding was just overhead and the unexpected came shattering to her. She knew she won't be able to make it this time as it was stage 4 of cancer. Somehow, she lost all the hopes that her wedding, which had planned since childhood would ever take place. But, Mike stood there as a pillar of strength.
Mike couldn't see his weeping fiance. He told her that he is still there for her just like before and they would be able to fight it once again. Laurin recalls, “Mike looked at me and said, ‘Don’t you dare worry. It’s going to be okay,". His words gave the badly needed strength to Laurin. Her medical treatments began but things kept on worsening.
Laurin's health was deteriorating with every passing month. Her cancer made it to her lungs. She needed to be admitted to the hospital and undergo the needed medical treatment. She always had her wedding date in her mind and would constantly worry about the same. Will she be able to survive up till her wedding?
The doctors were not at all sure of Laurin's condition and they wanted to be ready for all the odds, thus, they asked Laurin to postpone her wedding date. The doctors were like maybe she would end up on a wheelchair with an oxygen mask at her own ceremony that was almost nearing. Laurin looked at Mike for help her with this.
Mike asked Laurin to stay optimistic and look forward to life. He asked the doctors to continue with all the medical help, they will be always available for the treatments whenever needed, but they will also take a chance. A chance of not giving up and not postponing their wedding. They had been waiting for this day since last three years and don't want to wait any longer.
Mike says that a perfect marriage is all about two imperfect individuals who refuse to give up. And so the couple did not give up. Mike even says looking deep into Laurin's eyes that, "we would be giving in to cancer. We wanted to have our wedding on our terms.” And then the "The-Day" arrived and the sun shined the bright.
Voila! It was March 24, 2018. The bride arrived at the venue, all dressed in a beautiful embroidered white gown. She wore a flower veil with her dress and carried a bouquet of roses for the ceremony. She was happy, very happy. She was, at last, getting married to the love of her life, her support system Michael.
Laurin walked down the aisle like any other gorgeous and charming bride along with the help of her brother. Her brother handed over his beloved sister to Michael. It was an interfaith ceremony officiated by a rabbi friend of the couple. Laurin was glad she could make it to her wedding.
The couple was over the moon. They have faced a lot of hardships to reach up to this day. The phase of dating for three long years, battling with cancer two times and what not. The couple had every reason to cherish this day. The wedding was a lavish affair, no less than a fairy tale as planned, yet, the things didn't go the same way as before.
Laurin recalls how she danced till the last song of the wedding night. In her words, "The wedding day was the best day ever. I was so shocked that I made it! I felt good and I felt strong". It was an emotional affair as the duo always wanted to marry each other. And the very thing which Laurin was proud of was that she could grace the occasion that too with a bald head.
Though the medical treatments were helping Laurin to recover, her health was still poor. She was weak and her body could not rush to things soon. The couple did not go on their planned long honeymoon but instead took some small vacations. They decided to make it to Italy for Laurin's 30th birthday which was due in September. They were hoping it would happen.
Laurin the happy bride recently took to her Facebook page and shared something about her health and the condition. Her post read, “Scans results are out, the tumors that doctors have been tracking have reduced in size. While the remaining metastatic spots are too small to be measured. If everything goes well, clinical traits would show positive results".
Michael deserves the real appreciation. Even after knowing that his partner's life is full of uncertainty due to her cancer which already stages 4, he stood by her side. Mike took this challenge for all his life and promises to be with Laurin and support her all through life.
We wish Laurin a speedy recovery and hope she has a long life filled with happiness.