Before having the chance to enjoy a happy life with her husband, the woman felt agonized as she realized that tragedy had struck her too soon.
Lianne Dempster, 32 years old, and Mark, 55 years old, are from the UK. Both of them are police officers and they met in September 2017 while on duty.
The couple bonded over their shared passion for cars and had supported each other in their work. In April 2018, they officially started a serious romantic relationship.
However, unfortunate news struck when Mark was diagnosed with colon cancer. He had to undergo months of exhausting chemotherapy and fully recovered after 2 years. The couple decided to celebrate with a grand feast of joy.
The couple continued to journey together into a new chapter of life. By the end of 2021, while celebrating Lianne’s birthday in York (UK), Mark surprised his girlfriend with a proposal and she said yes. However, they did not immediately tie the knot.
Things seemed to get more tense when one day, Mark returned home from the gym and showed signs of difficulty breathing.
He was immediately taken to the hospital by his loved ones. There, the doctors discovered that his colon cancer had recurred. The worse news was that his remaining time could only be counted in days.
And so, the couple decided to carry out the most important task of their lives – getting married. Just one day after receiving the news from the doctor, they held a small party at Ward 9 of Furness General Hospital (UK).
Despite the short time frame, the patients on the ward tried their best to support the couple. One of them even offered to lend his wedding ring to Lianne so that she could fulfill her dream of a “fairytale wedding.”
Additionally, someone brought a wedding dress for Lianne to try on, and a nurse took advantage of her break to style Lianne’s hair. A florist who witnessed this act of kindness gave Lianne a bouquet of roses.
There was a registrar present to arrange the wedding, and everything was completed quickly.
Looking back on that special moment, Lianne said, “I still can’t believe it. Everything was arranged in an instant, and it was held in June, just one day after we decided to get married. It was extraordinary. They [the hospital staff] were like family to us!”
However, tragedy struck after the wedding. In early July 2022, Mark passed away while he and Lianne were at home together.
Lianne was devastated by the terrible tragedy. Just three weeks before, they were busy preparing for the wedding, and now her beloved husband had left her forever.
She said, “This was not part of my life plan. I knew there was a large age gap between us. One day, I would have had to live without him, but I didn’t expect it to come so soon.”
Lianne added, “We were supposed to have 20 to 30 more years together. He was my best friend. Not everyone is lucky enough to find a soulmate in life, but I found Mark. We were only married for three weeks, but it was perfect. Marrying him was the best thing I’ve ever done in my life.”
Determined to keep her husband’s memory alive, Lianne plans to run more than 1,600km in 2023. It is known that within six months of Mark’s passing, she had already run more than 720km. The reason for this is that it helps improve her physical health and soothes the sadness that she has to bear.
“When I run, I no longer have time to think, and I feel much better after each run,” the woman revealed.