HEADLINE NEWS - It appears that the chaos of 2020 had nothing on how 2021 began for this family. Kellie, mother of 5, became engaged to Scott, father of 6, on New Years Eve 2020 and they happily planned their wedding for January 30, 2021. Within a few days, half of the family contracted Covid19. Most handled it well but Scott’s 14yo daughter, Lydia, went to the hospital with complications and soon it was determined that they had bigger problems than Covid. Lydia was diagnosed with AML- Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Treatment for cancer began immediately. There was no time to spare as it appears that Lydia’s body had been struggling, undetected, with this condition for quite a long time. Family and friends jumped in to help and support Lydia and the family. A Go-Fund-Me account was set up and fund raisers were held to help with the expense of Lydia’s treatment and care. Around the clock support was needed and several assisted Scott and Kellie as they took turns staying with Lydia night and day at the hospital. And if that wasn’t enough, Scott still needed to work, other children at home still needed caring for, Kellie still needed to pack and move out of the rented home that she had until the end of the month. And the wedding . . . Would there be a wedding? Or should they postpone it? And if they did, where would Kellie and her children live? Kellie and Scott agreed that they and the children were stronger together under one roof and they would fight this battle and all others that came, together. So the wedding was held, as originally planned, except instead of a church, it was outside of the hospital, in the courtyard beneath Lydia’s hospital room window, where, Lydia and her sister, Emma, were watching via FaceTime. As they were limited by Covid as to how many could be in attendance, all guests remained in their cars in the parking lot and watched the ceremony on a zoom meeting. The parking lot was filled with balloons attached to the cars of those who were there to support Kellie and Scott on their marriage and Lydia, who still remains in the hospital since January 14, 2021.

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Kit: Headline News by Aimee Harrison