Terminally ill cancer patient marries his girlfriend to fulfill dying wish
HOUSTON - A Houston man who is terminally ill is receiving a dying wish. He’s now a newlywed after marrying the love of his life.
Noah and Jade Lathrop say other than a complete healing, being able to get married is one of the greatest gifts they could have been given, but they had no idea they would spend their honeymoon with Noah taken to hospice shortly after their wedding.
"Jade I give you this ring," Noah says in the heartwarming wedding video.
RELATED: Teen becomes caregiver for cancer-stricken parents: 'It's all love'
Wearing a beautiful gown and her groom-to-be, handsome in his tux, with their tiny best man, their 3-year-old son Aries by their side Noah Lathrop and Jade Barba became Mr. and Mrs. Lathrop
"I wanted his last name. I wanted to be his family. It was beautiful. It was definitely a blessing," Jade says.
Noah and Jade said their I do’s at the Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center Chapel because he was diagnosed with Stage 3 Colon Cancer in November. "But as of right now he is at Stage 4 and it spread to his lungs and liver and bones," the newlywed explains about her husband.
RELATED: Houston man thankful wife kept faith during his stage-4 prostate cancer battle
Doctors recently told Noah they’ve done everything they can.
"We’ve been very concerned about how much time he has so we want to make this wish come true before it’s too late," adds Baylor St. Luke’s Oncologist Dr. Charu Agrawal.
So the 40-year-old’s doctor asked him. "How can I improve however long God has planned for you?"
The father of five biological and bonus kiddos wanted two things, to spend his last days with all of his family in California, but the hospital hasn’t been able to secure an air ambulance. The other thing Noah wanted was to finish something he started with his girlfriend of four years.
"He proposed to me a couple months after he started chemo. He was kind of sick in bed, and he ordered a ring online without me knowing, and he got out of bed and kneeled down and proposed to me and I had to help him back up after I said yes," Jade smiles.
MORE HEALTH-RELATED NEWS STORIES
So a lot of people gave flowers, cakes, time and loads of love to turn the hospital chapel into an unforgettable wedding on Wednesday where Noah could live out what may be a dying wish.
"I can’t believe our pastor is making this happen. It’s really nice what everybody’s doing. I'd like to say thank you so much," says Noah.
"I got to marry my best friend even if it’s going to be for a short period of time," adds Jade. "This isn’t really how I expected to be spending our wedding night or day, honeymoon, but I’m just happy to be with him."
Noah is now in hospice with a beautiful painting right by his bed. The painting by Jeston Rodriguez with Rendered Moments depicts a dream wedding day far from a hospital, that Jade says is exactly how her special day happened, in her eyes.
"I’m treasuring every moment like it’s my last," says Jade.
The new Mrs. Lathrop says she wants to encourage everyone to get regular check-ups and don’t ignore if your body tells you there may be something wrong.