A Strathmore couple was able to be a beacon of light for each other in the darkest of times with two simple words – I do.

Alanna and Marty Lavoie have been together for 15 years, and are currently fighting a battle together that they don’t wish upon anyone.

“My husband and I have lived in Strathmore for about seven years now and we've always just been part of the community through cubs and football with our kids. We aren’t anyone who has stood out or anything,” Alanna Lavoie explained. “In February, my husband was diagnosed with stage 3 cancer. So, we just adjusted our life to that while he went through chemo and surgery.”

Alanna and their four children have spent their time rotating between hospitals and home to visit their father.

“In October, we found out that the chemo and surgery didn’t work. Basically, they told us that they were going to treat the cancer but they couldn’t cure cancer.”

“At that point, we set up a GoFundMe because we had gone through all of our RRSPs, all of our savings, absolutely everything.”

The family hoped to raise $2,000 to pay for a test that was needed to see if Marty’s cancer was a certain genetic mutation. If it was, there was an experimental drug that he could take.

“We actually had the $2,000 soon after we set up the page. That was just through community sharing. We also did a paint night and silent auction and we raised over another $1,000.”

The situation was looking up for the family, but on Alanna’s birthday, they received the news no one ever wants to hear.

“On December 11, we found out that my husband would never be coming home. His cancer has progressed to the point that he will either not be getting out of the hospital or he will go into hospice.”

Alanna explained that her husband’s dying wish was to be legally married to her before he passed away.

The family sprang into action to help make a wedding possible. It overwhelmed Alanna with how fast it happened.

“I put a post on the different Strathmore groups asking if anyone had just a simple dress in my size. There was a lady in town who shared my story with a wedding group in Calgary, and I had a salon reach out to me and offered me a real wedding dress.”

The salon also provided all the accessories for her dress and cufflinks for her groom. Alanna was able to go and choose her own dress, something that was like out of a TV show for her.

“It was absolutely shocking. I was able to go to the bridal salon on the day before the ceremony, and it was like out of that show, Say Yes to the Dress. I went in there and I wasn’t expecting anything and they had all the consultants working on me, trying on different dresses. The owners of the salon said she wanted our wedding to be the beautiful day that it should have been.”

The store even brought in their seamstress to do alterations on the dress that day, which anyone in the wedding world knows is unheard of.

A few people in Strathmore were able to get a bouquet done and everything for the ceremony was organized within 72 hours.

“There has been a lot of tears like all the time. I’m so grateful. I set up a Facebook page for him just to keep our family updated, and over 110 people in our community have joined too with so many caring messages. It is almost like a lifeline for me.”

There were only a select few who attended the ceremony due to COVID-19, but it was live-streamed for others at home.

“Because it was on Zoom, they had to bring my husband down in his hospital bed. He was right by the microphone and the camera. I was coming down the hallway with my mom, so we were kind of far away, and I couldn’t hear him. But everyone on Zoom and standing there with him heard him say ‘Tell the beautiful woman at the end of the hallway to go away because his wife was coming soon and if she saw her, she was going to be mad,’ she chuckled.

“He has a great sense of humour but he didn’t realize that everyone on Zoom heard it.”

The two were married on Friday, December 17 surrounded by their four children. "We definitely could not have got to where we are without everybody’s support. I wasn't expecting the outpouring of support we got from people. I read Marty all the comments and good wishes we get every day. I can’t thank everyone enough.”

As the family continues on, they are hoping to spend one more Christmas with Marty. Their GoFundMe page is still up, and they appreciate anyone who donates to them. The family is currently spending as much time as possible with Marty as they can. They are unsure how much time they have left with him at the moment.

If you would like to keep up to date with Marty’s story, you can join their Facebook group here.