“It’s terminal.” That’s all I could hear for hours. “It’s terminal.” I was nineteen and about to marry James Madigan, the love of my life in a fairytale wedding and I just got told I have terminal cancer of the brain.

The headaches had gotten worse but I justified them with the stress of my job and the wedding. James had been kind and comforting but I saw his face when the doctors said it, “its terminal.” I couldn’t breath and I was pretty sure James wasn’t sucking too much air himself.

On the way home as we sat in shocked silence, I looked over and blurted out, “James, I can’t marry you so don’t feel like this is a burden on you or something.” I said it with all the pride I could muster and turned to keep from allowing the hot tears to flow. I loved him and nothing was going to change that. The car took a sudden right turn into the city park and came to an abrupt stop. “What?” James voice was shaking. “What are you talking about Carolynn? I love you, for better or worse.” His face as intense and his eyes overflowed with the same hot tears that now flowed freely down my face. “I just don’t want you to feel obligated.” I started to explain. James took me my both shoulders and turned my face up to meet his eyes, “I am totally and completely sold out to loving you, wedding or no wedding. And I am not ready to bury you. We need to fight this.” Suddenly James was praying out loud and slightly shaking me as he did. “Holy Lord Jesus this is the woman You gave me to love and protect and care for. I need her. Please, please, please a million times over please heal her and bless our life to serve you and have a family that does the same thing. Please Lord I am begging you.” James paused, took a breath and continues in almost a whisper. “Thank you Lord. Your will be done.

That was fifty years ago. The wedding was a fairy tale wedding. James and I got a second and third opinion about the brain cancer and nothing could be found. God had healed me and blessed us with five children, a ministry to the sick and many happy years together.