Little Girl Marries Her Childhood Crush Before Losing Leukemia Battle

Thinking about a ten-year-old girl getting married might make people uneasy. But what if it was a heartfelt way to fulfill the dreams of a child who won’t get the chance? Emma Edwards, the little girl of this story had always dreamed of her own wedding. Love has the power to create something beautiful even in difficult times, just like the special connection between Emma and her childhood sweetheart.

She was diagnosed with severe leukemia.

In April 2022, little girl, Emma Edwards got hit with some really tough news: acute lymphoblastic leukemia. It was a gut punch, no doubt, but her parents clung to hope and faced it head-on. A couple of months down the line, though, the doctors dropped a bombshell — Emma’s cancer was incurable, and she had only a few days to live.

“We were going for another kind of treatment, and they told us that she probably had days to a week, not weeks”, her mother said. “We didn’t expect to hear that at all. It was like a gut punch. You never imagine them saying they can’t do anything else for her.”

That’s when things took a turn. Emma’s parents weren’t about to just sit back and let time steal precious moments away. They reached out to friends and the whole community jumped in. Together, they hatched a plan to make Emma’s dream wedding come true with her boyfriend, DJ (short for Daniel Marshall Christopher Williams Junior).

Emma basked in the love of those around her, especially her doting boyfriend.

“Most kids want to go to Disneyland, but Emma wanted to get married, be a wife, and have three kids.” You wouldn’t expect it, considering how young she was, but Emma had someone close who made her believe it was the way to go. As Emma’s mom, remarks, “DJ is the sweetest soul you’ll ever meet. He has a heart of gold, and he really loves Emma.”

They actually tried the marriage thing before. Back when they were eight, Emma and DJ tried to pull off a wedding at school. They chose some of their pals to be bridesmaids and groomsmen, and the guys even slapped on clip-on ties, getting all set for a recess wedding. It was cute and all, but their teacher didn’t give it a thumbs-up.

She made her way down the aisle, just like she’d always pictured.

The community, made up of Emma’s friends and neighbors, rallied around the Edwards family to show their support. They were so passionate about her cause that they even gave themselves the name “Emma’s Army” and put in a lot of effort to make her wishes come true.

Eventually, the Make-A-Wish Foundation stepped in to lend a hand to Emma, her family, and the community, turning this dream wedding into a reality. “We threw it together in less than two days, everything ended up being donated. It was so precious, and it came together so well.”

The wedding went down on June 29th, and Emma’s cousin took charge as the ring-wielding maid of honor. Emma rolled in with her parents, sporting a lovely purple dress and flashing a grin as her dad pushed her down the aisle in her wheelchair. When asked what he first thought upon seeing Emma, DJ said, “I thought she was the most beautiful person I ever saw. Ever since I loved her.”

They exchanged rings, and DJ said the sweet words the officiant told him, promising his love to Emma. Even though she was weak, the girl managed to repeat the same vows to DJ. Then, in the end, he kissed the bride, and she had this big, shy smile on her face.

Both families looked really happy with how everything turned out. DJ’s huge grin and happy energy made the whole day even better and the little girl was so determined, that she even said no to pain meds because she didn’t want to fall asleep and miss the event.

Sadly, Emma passed away on July 11, 2023, but with her fulfilled dream in her heart. Her mother cherishes her saying, “She was a sweetheart. I always say we must have made marriage look really fun because that’s all she wanted.”

Emma’s determination to make her last wish come true highlights the incredible resilience kids can have, even in the face of something as tough as a disease. Just like this little boy who fought and beat cancer, showing everyone how strong he could be in the toughest times.