Some couples have love stories that have beaten the odds. Taylor and Haley Odlozil have been facing insurmountable circumstances since Christmas 2015, and they are still going strong. Almost a decade ago — two months before their wedding — Haley, now 30, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer.
“We found that she could never have children and that she was dying,” Taylor, 31, tells Today.com. "It still makes me shake when I think about it." Following her diagnosis, Haley tried to give Taylor an out in the relationship, encouraging him to move on and to find a new person. Like any man in love, he thought it was crazy. It wasn’t happening.
The bride-to-be went through nine weeks of chemotherapy in the hopes of shrinking her tumors before their wedding.
Taylor shared a recording of their wedding ceremony on the TikTok account where he says he's maintaining as a digital scrapbook of sorts for their 4-year-old son, Weston. The emotions shared between the bride, groom, and the pastor are palpable. They grab viewers by the heart.
“WOW!! Awesome words. and hones[t]ly true and heartfelt," one commenter wrote. "What Love you all share! Some never know this love.”
“You picked the most perfect pastor to be a part of your special moment. wishing you and your family so much strength and love,” wished another person.
“He was so comforting to them. He knew that their marriage was the real deal," a third person noted. "This is a beautiful but sad story. Lot's of prayers.”
The news they received after their nuptials, however, rocked the newlyweds to their core.
The tumors had grown and they were told Haley had six months to live. Haley and Taylor took their honeymoon, and upon returning, found that a New York surgeon was willing to take a fresh look at her situation and see what could be done.
Surgery was possible. "The doctor did a nine-hour surgery and … performed a miracle. Taylor explained to Today.com. He was able to remove "100% of visible cancer."
When her health looked more promising, they welcomed a son via a surrogate.
Their family now includes the indomitable angel, Watson. The blue-eyed, blond haired boy has an easy smile, an infectious laugh, and an unending love for his mom.
Taylor calls him “the most loving, caring little boy," noting that his love for Weston will be what saves him in the coming months, amid more recent news that Haley's cancer is no longer treatable.
After suffering a bowel obstruction last fall, Haley has run out of possible surgical interventions.
"She was past the point of surgery," Taylor told Today.com. "Even the surgeon in New York said 'I'm not going to operate on her again,'" he added.
“Since October when we found out, she’s just slowly gone downhill and the last three weeks have been really bad,” Taylor explained, adding she has lost more than 60 pounds. “She’s barely eating (and) she throws up (about) 20 times a day now. It’s just terrible.”
Taylor began sharing their journey on TikTok in November, and since then, their following has grown from 200 to more than 500,000. The experiences the family are sharing run the gamut from cute family fun to the reality of an end-of-life situation with cancer. Their story is both inspiring and absolutely heartbreaking.
The beauty of the Odlozil family is that each day they’re holding onto and celebrating the love and life they share together. Weston may not grow up with his mom, but he will undoubtedly always know her love and feel her impact on his life.
