There are few promises more moving and timeless than when a couple pledges to love each other for better or worse and in sickness or health. While many couples make those vows, one Florida couple recently showed what those vows really mean as they grapple with the reality of a scary terminal cancer diagnosis.
Steve and Charlene Owens of Palm City, Florida, have been married for 24 years and were looking forward to celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary in September. Sadly, the diagnosis of a rare form of bile duct cancer for Charlene has made that celebration seem unlikely. "We've been together for 28 years and married 25 in September but with the doctors' reports, we may not make that," Steve shared with WPBF News.
Charlene's friends and family joined together to give her an amazing final Valentine's Day.
Mary Ellen Huff, Charlene's sister, realized that her sister might not have another opportunity to celebrate this momentous anniversary with her husband, so she quickly arranged for a Valentine's Day vow renewal ceremony for the couple.
"We quickly planned a renewal ceremony for her and her husband for Valentine's Day, we figured what better way to celebrate their love story than on the day of love," Huff explained, reported CBS News. The ceremony was held in Charlene's favorite local park, a special spot for her family.
The bride was walked down the aisle by her beloved sons.
Charlene, who was diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic bile duct cancer in August 2022, had two special men on her arms as she walked down the aisle to her loving husband. Her sons, one of whom has special needs including spina bifida and autism, are 19 and 21 years old, and were by her side as she made it to the altar — wearing her original wedding dress, no less!
While Charlene's prognosis isn't what the family was hoping for, husband Steve shared that saying, "I do," and making the "in sickness and in health" vow for a second time, was a good moment to decide that he "didn't want to be upset about what I lost, I want to be grateful for what I had."
The bride was grateful for family, even in the face of an uncertain future.
Charlene, who has been the primary care giver for her sons and a dedicated community volunteer and advocate for veteran's issues, was all smiles on her special day. In an interview after the ceremony, she shared that she felt beautiful and was glad she hadn't worn a wig for the event, and that she was deeply touched by the loving gesture her sister had organized.
"This has just been amazing I can't believe it's been just 24 hours and this all got pulled off, it has just been so special," she reflected.
Now a married woman (again!), Charlene is looking forward to attending her own celebration of life.
Now that she has had a chance to celebrate her love story, Charlene's next — and possibly final — big event is to celebrate her life with her friends and family. Instead of waiting until she has passed to celebrate her life, Charlene will be attending her own celebration of life in early March.
As her sister explained on Facebook: "In lieu of a funeral we are going to do something that is unique but not original to us. We are going to have a service that celebrates the life of Charlene that SHE gets to participate in followed by a reception where everyone will be able to interact with Charlene and her family. We want to do this while Charlene is currently strong enough to be able to participate in something like this."
It sounds like no matter what the outcome of this cancer diagnosis is, Charlene will be surrounded by love in the journey.
