23-Year-Old Daughter Marries at Garden of Cancer Center To Fulfill Dad's Dying Wish
Weddings are a big deal. The flowers, the cake, the guest list — all of it can become a bit overwhelming.
Some couples get so lost in all the details, they don’t take time to pause and soak in the beautiful memories taking place. Many brides will comment they don’t even remember most of their special day because it was all such a blur.
But for those who know what matters most, a wedding can be unforgettable. For one Buffalo, New York, family, some recent nuptials became just that.
Richard Ferrino, Jr. had been receiving care at the Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center in Buffalo for a year and a half.
Diagnosed with stage four lung cancer, one thing pushed Richard to continue his battle with the disease: His daughter’s upcoming wedding.
Beth Ferrino, 23, and her fiancé, Austin Reese, originally had plans to tie the knot in August.
Unfortunately, Beth’s dad’s condition continued to worsen, and it didn’t seem as if he’d be able to see his daughter walk down the aisle.
“Every time I took my dad to his doctor’s appointments,” Beth shared, “he would always tell the surgeons, the doctors and nurses, ‘I have to be there for my daughter’s wedding. I have to make it through, I’m going to fight this fight for her wedding.’”
But an August wedding just wasn’t going to be possible for Richard.
Instead, with the help of family, friends, and the Roswell Park staff, Beth and Austin decided to move up the date for their special day. And, wouldn’t you know it, Father’s Day seemed like the perfect time to say, “I do.”
Wheeled out to the center’s garden, Richard looked on from his hospital bed as his daughter said her vows. He clapped and even shook his new son-in-law’s hand.
The entire event was captured on film by Beth’s brother, Mitch.
What a perfect surprise filled with captured memories that will last a lifetime.
A few days following the intimate ceremony, Richard Ferrino, Jr. passed away on June 20, 2018, at the age of 62. His memorial was held the following week at St. John Paul II Church in Lake View.
While his loved ones will surely miss him, no doubt they are grateful for the time they had. And I’m sure Beth feels at peace knowing she was able to give her father his dying wish.
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