A supportive family fulfilled a 10-year-old girl’s dying wish by giving her and her childhood sweetheart a beautiful mock wedding just days before she lost her battle with leukemia.
In April 2022, Emma Edwards, a spirited child, was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). A year later, in June 2023, doctors informed the family that the blood disease had turned for the worse.
While Emma’s parents, Alina and Aaron Edwards from North Carolina, were holding onto hope that their daughter would overcome leukemia, their optimism turned to despair when they found out that her cancer was incurable. Facing the harsh reality of their daughter’s limited time left, Alina and Aaron resolved to grant Emma’s wish of marrying her boyfriend of two years, Daniel Marshall Christopher Williams Jr., or DJ, 10.
Most kids wish for a Disneyland trip, but Alina revealed that Emma aspired to become a wife and eventually be a mother of three children.
The young couple’s relationship had started innocently in school, and they had even attempted a playful wedding during a lunch break when they were just 8 years old. However, as her health declined, Emma’s dream of a genuine wedding seemed unlikely to come true until late June 2023.
Kids Health claims leukemia is the predominant form of cancer in children. It can manifest as acute, marked by rapid growth, or chronic, characterized by gradual progression. Acute lymphoblastic leukemia occurs when the body produces an excess of a type of white blood cell known as lymphocytes. These abnormal cells are ineffective in safeguarding the body against pathogens.
ALL is prevalent among children, but the majority who undergo treatment may achieve a cure for the disease. The five-year survival rate for patients with ALL is 71.3%, according to the Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center.
“We thought we were going for another kind of treatment and it would work,” Alina recalled after she heard her daughter’s fate. “It was like a gut punch. You never imagine them saying they can’t do anything else for her.”
So, family and friends rallied together, determined to make Emma’s wish come true. After two days of preparation, mostly from donations of kind friends and family, a ceremony was held for the young couple in Emma’s grandmother’s garden on June 29, 2023.
Over 100 guests, including teachers, doctors, and nurses, gathered to witness the touching event.
Aaron had the honor of walking his daughter down the aisle while their third-grade teacher recounted the story of their childhood friendship.
“Their teacher spoke at their wedding and said they tried to have a wedding at recess,” Alina revealed as she recalled an incident when the kids were 8 years old. “When me and DJ’s mom found that out, we said we had to let them get married.”
The occasion was incredibly special and flawlessly organized.
“Her dad gets to say he gave her away. A friend of ours officiated, a friend read a verse from the bible and her best friend was the maid of honor,” the happy mom said.
Despite her discomfort, Emma was determined to experience her special day fully, even delaying pain medication to avoid falling asleep during the ceremony. DJ’s sweetness toward his bride was apparent to everyone present. Tragically, Emma passed away on July 11, 2023, but the family has found comfort in the fact that they were able to grant her wish.
“She was a sweetheart. I always say we must have made marriage look really fun because that’s all she wanted,” Alina said.
It may seem bittersweet to fulfill a loved one’s dying wish, but what can you say about the wedding for a couple of 10-year-olds? Would you also do the same as the family? Do you know someone who might be interested in this story? Then tell them all about it!