On a bright sunny day at the end of March, 17-year-old Addison Conely walked down the aisle and married the love of her life: 19-year-old Sebastian Snitily. On paper, their union might've seemed a bit premature. After all, the bride was so young that she needed her parents' permission just to say "I do." But for anyone who knows Addison Coneley, it's impossible not to see her recent nuptials as anything but meant to be.
At just 17 years old, Addison's time on Earth is quickly running out.
She's been battling cancer for nearly a year after being diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia, or AML, in June 2021.
According to the American Cancer Society, AML is a rare form of cancer that starts in the bone marrow but often moves into the blood. It can sometimes spread to other parts of the body, attacking the lymph nodes, liver, spleen, central nervous system (brain and spinal cord), and more.
Luckily, Addison was able to receive a bone marrow transplant several months after her diagnosis.
But in mid-March — just 72 days after the procedure was completed — the teen was dealt a devastating blow.
Her cancer was back, and things were not looking good.
"I didn’t think that it was real," Addison recently admitted to Fox 32 News. "A couple months later, then it kind of hit me that this is actually real life."
By then, she'd already been living every day as though it were her last.
She'd even created a bucket list, complete with a wide range of things she wanted to complete before it was too late.
Many of the items are things only a teenager could dream up. There was a special "prom night" held for her on Newport Beach and even an early cap and gown ceremony, just in case she didn't make it to graduation.
"She wanted to go zip-lining, so we did that," shared her stepmom, Staci Berry-Conely. "She wanted to go off-roading, so we did that. She wanted a puppy, and we did that."
Addison even rode in a hot air balloon and traveled to Las Vegas for the first time.
Still, there was one thing left on her bucket list that she wanted more than anything.
And it was something most 17-year-olds wouldn't even be thinking about yet.
She wanted to get married. And not just to anyone, but to Sebastian — her best friend and long-time boyfriend.
"They met almost seven years ago on a houseboat," Staci said. "It was love at first sight. She loved him. He was a little hesitant for a minute, but he definitely liked her and they've been the best of friends."
At the time, they were just 10 and 12 years old, but in the years since, their schoolyard crush has blossomed into something much more.
And so, on March 30, they exchanged vows not far from where they live in Chino Hills, California.
"The wedding was originally scheduled for next May until her cancer came back," explained Addison's dad, Christopher Conley. "So in two weeks, my beautiful wife and her friends put this together, so we could be here today."
In the end, all that hard work was worth it.
"We are completely overjoyed," said Staci, shortly after the intimate wedding had wrapped. "This is the love of her life, and it is our job as parents to support her in every wish that she has …"
"With cancer being a big part of our lives now, we just live every day to the fullest," the stepmom added.
Naturally, the special day stirred up a mix of emotions.
Her father, for one, couldn't help feeling both happy and sad.
"It's a very joyous moment. It's a hard moment," he told Fox 32. "It's also a little earlier than we all expected, but with the situation in our life, it's the right thing to do right now."
Otherwise, the entire day went off without a hitch and was peppered with lots of special little moments, starting with the ceremony itself, which was officiated by Sebastian's father.
Now the happy couple is doing everything they can to stay positive.
At the moment, Addison is finishing up high school while undergoing chemo, which seems to be helping.
"By the grace of God, the chemo is working right now, but the doctor is quick to tell us it could change at any moment," her stepmom shared. In fact, Addison's doctors have been honest with her that she may not live much longer.
Still, the teen is choosing to focus on the good — and so are her family and friends, who've rallied behind her at every turn.
"We're just doing everything we can to save our baby," said Staci, who feels that's exactly what Addison deserves.
In the meantime, though, the teen is trying to lift the spirits of other people in need. She's working to launch a foundation aimed at donating colorful blankets to fellow cancer patients. (A GoFundMe campaign has been set up to help fund her mission, which you can donate to here.)
