Fifty-year-old Abby Killion walked down the aisle at sunset in the same dress she wore just shy of 20 years ago at her original wedding.
But this time, the aisle was a stretch of sand at Sundial Beach Resort & Spa on Sanibel Island, and she was accompanied by her 16-year-old daughter Addison as maid of honor and her 13-year-old son Aiden as best man.
There was an unwelcome guest as well — her illness; Killion has been diagnosed with terminal brain cancer.
Dream Foundation, a nonprofit that grants dreams to adults facing a terminal diagnosis, flew the Killions from their home in Indiana to Sanibel Island for the June 16 ceremony -- Abby's final wish. The family was too scared to wait for their real 20th anniversary later this year.
"When we learned about Abby's dream to renew her vows and create lasting memories with her family, we knew we wanted to help," said Becky Miller, general manager of the Sundial Beach Resort & Spa.
Josh Killion said the diagnosis has reshaped the family's life. He mentioned that the weight lifted the moment he saw Abby on the beach.
"When she came around that corner, the past 11 months went out the window," he said behind tears. "I just seen my beautiful wife again -- that I remember from the day I met her."
He hopes his children remember their mother as he always has.
"Strong-willed and independent and determined," he said. "If something got in her mind, it was getting done, one way or another. I've never seen anyone so hard-headed. Just an amazing person, inside and out."
Abby Killion said she's been holding onto smaller milestones this year, including her daughter's first prom.
"That meant the world to me. I didn't think I was going to make it," she said. "I live for the small steps."
She said the diagnosis is difficult to reconcile.
"There should be a cure for everyone," she exhaled. "It's just not fair."
Tiffany Beyke, the resort's director of sales and catering, said "Together, they exemplified the meaning of 'for better, or for worse,' and demonstrated the power of facing life hand-in-hand."
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