A mom is fighting for her life without her husband — a decorated Marine veteran, who died last summer. Danica and Matt Romeyn were a team from the moment they got married atop a volcano in 2014. The couple, who are originally from Michigan, loved the outdoors and met in California while working for the National Park Service.
Danica was an archaeologist, and Matt became a astrobotanist for NASA, reported USA Today. Their two children, son Everest, 6, and daughter, Rhone, 4, are named after their adventures. Now, Danica is raising them on her own, as she battles a rare disease.
Danica received life-altering news four years ago.
She was diagnosed with scleroderma, a group of rare diseases that involve hardening and tightening of the skin, and cause problems in the blood vessels, internal organs, and digestive tract. It is the most fatal of all rheumatologic diseases, with no cure, notes Mayo Clinic.
Danica has tried all the medications used to treat the autoimmune disease, but her illness has gotten so bad that she can no longer drive or wash own hair, reported Florida Today.
Tragedy hit again just a few years later.
Bad news unfortunately kept coming when Matt died in a car crash while taking their son to school on August 16, 2022. Matt, who was a decorated Marine veteran and only 38 years old, died at the scene of the crash on Merritt Island, Florida. The driver that hit Matt’s car when he ran a red light, was a repeat offender who was later fined $1,000, reported Florida Today.
"I guess I never understood when people talked about the physical aspect of heartbreak … But it hurts physically. It hurts emotionally … you're broken. My body was already broken but then to break my spirit … Matt was my partner. The love of my life. We adventured together; were raising a family together. We dreamed together … you not only lose your partner, you lose your dreams," Danica told Florida Today.
Danica's friends are raising money for her treatment.
A group of the Romeyns' close friends started a GoFundMe campaign, that has raised more than $64,000 to date. The initial goal was to raise at least $50,000 to help with Danica’s medical expenses. She needs a bone marrow stem cell transplant, which is not available in the United States, which will cost $50,000. She is also undergoing chemotherapy to slow the disease’s progression, reported USA Today.
From the beautiful sentiments written by the couple's friends on the campaign page, it’s evident Matt was loved dearly by their friends and his and Danica’s love story was an inspiration to those around them.
“For Matt Romeyn, every day was an adventure. Whether kayaking the open waters off the Florida coast or studying methods for growing food on the International Space Station, each day offered a new opportunity for discovery,” a friend wrote on the GoFundMe page. "No adventure was greater than the one he shared with his family including wife, Danica, and children, Everest (age 6) and Rhone (age 4)."
Danica is seeking to bring awareness about reckless driving.
Despite the challenges she's facing, Danica is committed to working for change that will help keep others from suffering her late husband's fate. The other driver in the crash that killed Matt received a six month license suspension in addition to paying the fine, reported USA Today, consequences that simply don't seem harsh enough for the loss of a life.
“He was a repeat offender. He was thinking of himself when he went through that red light, not thinking about anyone else, and he destroyed our lives. We're trying to repair our hearts from that. I wish there was a way to just shut it down. But every day we just try to fight through it … do kind things that fill our hearts with all the joy we can. I tell them sometimes our hearts get black with sadness or anger, but we want our hearts to be full of beautiful colors and kindness," Danica told Florida Today.
