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Bride-to-be diagnosed with cancer a week before wedding

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Charlotte and Luke welcomed their son through IVF. (Photo: Facebook)
Charlotte and Luke welcomed their son through IVF. (Photo: Facebook)

A woman diagnosed with cancer a week before her wedding decided to keep her diagnosis a secret from wedding guests.

Charlotte Drake, from Oxfordshire in the UK, was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 30 after she discovered a lump while performing a breast self-examination, the Daily Mail reports.

The now 34-year-old told only her then-fiancé Luke (32), her parents, sister and bridesmaids about the diagnosis and decided she’d go through with her nuptials in May 2014.

"Luke and I didn’t tell our guests because we wanted it to be a happy occasion. We didn’t want their pity. It was a wedding not a funeral, after all."

"I remember thinking at least if I die everyone will have seen me at the wedding looking the best I was ever going to look. I’d be going out with a bang."

According to Mirror UK, Charlotte had no family history of the disease but was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer that could have killed her in two years. This initially made her hesitant to go through with the wedding.

“Moments before I went into hospital for my results, I was agonising over which colour dress to buy online for my honeymoon. An hour later I was told I had cancer. It put everything into perspective and I couldn't believe I’d been worrying about a dress.”

“I was convinced my life was over and told Luke I didn't think we should get married. I thought I'd ruined his life and didn't want to become his wife, only for me to die,” she added.

The newlywed who’d always dreamt of becoming a mother worried that the nine months of chemotherapy and other treatments she went through would severely affect her chances of falling pregnant.

The chemo had damaged her ovaries and so the brand manager opted for IVF, and fell pregnant soon after, msn.com reports.

At 36 weeks, she had a C-section and their son, Henry (now seven months old), was born healthy and strong.

“As I looked at Henry and then at Luke, it felt like everything we’d been through had been worth it. There are so many miracles that have happened and Henry is the greatest one.”

Charlotte, who has regular check-ups and scans, is an advocate for breast cancer awareness and encourages everyone to check their breasts regularly.

Sources: Daily Mail, Mirror UK, msn.com

 

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