Bob CollinsHere’s your daily dose of bittersweetness:
Chris Ford and Nicole Wismer, of Nashville, were to be married in November. But then he got the word from his doctor that he’ll probably be dead by then. He has cancer.
So they moved the wedding up, juggling wedding preparations with hospice visits.
With medical bills being what they are, they didn’t have much money for a wedding by today’s standards. So friends pitched in and donated a wedding. On Sunday, they got hitched, the Daily News Journal reports.
Although Chris has to wear oxygen constantly, he sat patiently waiting for his bride, unable to stand for long periods. A pain patch was barely visible behind his ear.
“His spirits are very good because he’s got a lot of support. His heart is like a rock. I’ve never seen anybody as strong as he’s been, and his will to live. He’s been fighting to live for his family,” said Chris Ford’s father, Bob Ford. “He’s been through a lot with the cancer.”
Barely able to walk, Chris was escorted down the aisle by his father, who kept his son stable and standing during the short ceremony.
When Francine and Richard Wismer escorted their daughter to the altar, Chris finally broke into a giant smile.
Because Chris’ cancer is so advanced, he can’t talk. So Bob Ford also stood in to speak for his son as the couple exchanged wedding vows.
Even through his weakness, he managed to dance back down the aisle with his bride.
