A New Jersey mom who survived three cancer surgeries and a car crash finally gets her dream wedding with the help of her daughter.
Yahoo Parenting reports 35-year-old Tonia Watson, a court administrator in South Toms River Municipal Courthouse, wanted to give her mom what she really wanted: a dream church wedding. Apparently, her mom Theresa and dad Dennis didn't have a church wedding because they got married 30 years earlier in the Lakewood courthouse.
The wedding ceremony was held at Calvary Lighthouse in Lakewood, Aug. 22. It wasn't just any wedding—it was a dream come true for the mom who had three surgeries and a car crash within three years. "She and my father are so drained," Tonia told Yahoo Parenting. "And on top of that car accident? I had to do something."
The Asbury Park Press reports that Theresa, over the last two-and-a-half years, stared death in the face four times.
It all started when she saw a sign that said "free mammograms."
"She took advantage, and I didn't think anything of it. But the doctors called back," said Tonia.
It was found that she was close to having stage 3 cancer. "She had emergency surgery," said Tonia. "They had to move fast."
Theresa went through two consecutive surgeries. Tonia recalls her dad, Dennis, said: "I don't want them cutting up my wife anymore." Dennis was himself a colon cancer survivor.
Unfortunately, Theresa had to go through a third surgery, as this was the only deemed chance for her to survive. Once the surgery was over, she then had to go through chemotherapy.
At one of her lowest moments, Theresa told Tonia, "If I make it out of this alive, I want to have a real wedding. That's my dream." Tonia replied, "Mom, you're not gonna die. You're gonna walk down the aisle and be a beautiful bride."
However, some time after that, Theresa had a car crash while driving to her sister's funeral. She was rushed to the hospital and stayed there for more than a month.
This fueled Tonia. "I watched her go through three surgeries, I watched cops cut her out of a car while the tires were still smoking. I watched her experience each thing that could have killed her."
The wedding plans pushed through, and finally the dream wedding happened.
"My mom looked like a beautiful angel walking down the aisle to her king," Tonia says. "The feeling of not knowing if one day cancer will destroy both of your parents, to watching them fight the fight together and surviving is a miracle from the man above."
Tonia added, "This day will be remembered for the rest of our lives."
