Man With Terminal Cancer Renews Vows With Wife On 22nd Wedding Anniversary

A man with a terminal cancer diagnosis chose to renew his vows with his wife on their 22nd wedding anniversary. According to People Magazine, it was apparently his last wish. Bryan Rose, who hails from Arkansas, has stage 4 colon cancer. After inviting his loved ones, he renewed his vows with his wife, Terri Rose, at the Circle of Life hospice care in Bentonville on Wednesday (Oct 21).

"We've done aeroplane rides, but we also get requests for milkshakes and apple pie and a favourite meal or just to be able to pet a horse again," Nancy Desler, marketing manager for Circle of Life, said, as quoted by KBTX.

The event was organised with the help of "Wish Upon a Wedding," an organisation that grants dream celebrations to couples facing serious illness.

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"What I've learned about them is that before his illness, they were full of life," event planner Kristin Hoops said, as quoted by the media outlet. "Just a very fun couple; they enjoyed all the things and were very outgoing."

Bryan was diagnosed with colon cancer in July 2022. And as per the CNN affiliate KFSM, he was admitted to the hospice that same week.

"He had some abdominal pain and went to the ER. They did a CT scan. It came back, and they immediately sent the gastroenterologist in to let him know it was cancer," Terri said as quoted by KFSM.

While speaking about renewing the vows, she said it was important because she wanted to show Bryan "how appreciative I am for him in my life and the kids".

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"We met in Fayetteville and had a very brief engagement," she told KNWA. "When we met, we were both in our late 30s and knew what we wanted and didn't want. When we met, and we fell in love, it was very easy and very quick. It was just perfect."

"You have to face everything with the right attitude. You have to advocate for yourself. The only way that you can do that is by staying positive and making sure that you're in the right frame of mind and you don't let yourself go down dark roads," Bryan told KNWA before moving to hospice.

"If you are 45 years old [man], you need to get a colonoscopy; that's just something that has to be done... as we get older, we take our health for granted and we shouldn't. I wish that I wouldn't have," he added.