When a recent bride was preparing for her upcoming wedding, she wanted it to be special and to include the most important people in her life. For Sheri James, 70, that didn't just mean family and friends. It meant some important doctors, too. Sheri, a cancer survivor, felt that her wedding wouldn’t have been possible without the help of her treatment team.
Sheri was diagnosed with anal cancer in 2021, and felt that her oncology doctors saved her, so she asked them to walk her down that aisle. Dr. Van Morris and Dr. Emma Holliday of the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center were instrumental during Sheri's care. They jumped at the chance to be a part of their special patient's day. The wedding took place in June, and it was a beautiful event.
More from CafeMom: I Got Breast Cancer Young, With No Family History — Here’s My Story
Sheri said that some doctors weren't taking her seriously.
Sheri became ill during the height of the pandemic, in February 2021. She told Good Morning America that some doctors in her hometown of Seven Springs, North Carolina, dismissed her claims. Sheri, a former obstetrics nurse, knew that something was wrong and continued to pursue a diagnosis. Eventually, she was told she had anal cancer. She wanted the best care possible to increase her chance of survival.
She traveled to Texas for treatment.
Sheri researched and found that MD Anderson in Houston had doctors specializing in anal cancer, so she and her then-fiancé Bill James, 77, headed to Houston.
"I was dating Bill for a little while. And then I got a diagnosis of squamous cell anal cancer. And I told him, looks like it's time to break up. I'm going to deal with cancer and I think you need to go travel the way you always wanted to. And he refused," Sheri told Good Morning America.
Sheri underwent radiation and chemotherapy to treat her cancer.
Under the care of her doctors, Sheri successfully completed cancer treatment and is in remission. She said she couldn't imagine her wedding without them. The doctors were thrilled to be a part of her big day.
"As oncologists, we unfortunately are much more likely to get an invitation to a funeral than a wedding," Holliday told Good Morning America. "So, this was just such a beautiful and a joyous celebration, and to say it's something that I'll never forget, those words don't even do the feeling justice. It's truly amazing."
Morris said, "It was among the easiest questions I've ever been asked as a cancer doctor by a patient."
The physicians agree that Sheri is an inspiration.
Morris said that patients like Sheri give others hope that their cancer can be successfully treated.
"I think there's always reason for hope, and I think that Sheri is a great example of that," Morris said to Good Morning America. "When people are at their lowest, there's always an opportunity to find a positive, even in the most dire of circumstances. We were with Sheri from the lowest of lows to the highest of highs at her wedding, and it's just such a privilege to get to be a part of that."
Holliday concurred. "Sheri's an excellent example of how wonderful it is to celebrate the successes in love after cancer."
More from CafeMom: Bridezilla Wants to Fire Her Maid of Honor With Cancer for 'Slacking'
Sheri said it was 'such an honor' to have them there.
The wedding went off without a hitch on June 11, in New Bern, North Carolina. Sheri recalled to Good Morning America about the "most beautiful moment" of her life.
"I felt like I couldn't do it without them because I couldn't celebrate life without the people that have worked so hard to give it to me. So, it was just magical to have them there," she said.
