Cancer victim's dying wish to marry fiancé
SAN RAMON, Calif. (KGO) -- A San Ramon woman who is used to helping people with cancer is in unfamiliar territory. She's now battling the disease herself. Cherise Beyelia has been told she only has a few months to live. All she wants is to marry her fiance before she dies.
Cherise is busy planning her wedding to her fiance, Erik Sturdevant, but unlike most brides she's been battling cancer for almost a year and a half. She was diagnosed at the beginning of 2013.
"It came back with a diagnosis in January that I was Stage IV non-Hodgkin lymphoma," said Cherise.
"I felt like the bottom fell out. It felt like my heart went through the floor you know," said Sturdevant.
Cherise has endured four different types of chemo, but her body couldn't handle it.
"She's been in ICU three times, intubated three times. Two prolonged stays at UCSF and was just released about four weeks ago," said Debbie Beyelia, Cherise's mother.
Doctors have given her six to eight months to live and there's only one thing Cherise wants now.
"I just love him so much and I've always wanted to get married and I want to have kids with him and a family," said Cherise.
So the wedding was moved up a year, leaving little time to get the money together to make it happen. A friend created an online fundraising page and they've reached their financial goal, but things like the florist and a videographer are still up in the air.
"To know that there are people out there that want to help just as much as I like helping other people is amazing and it makes me want to continue helping people when all of this is over," said Cherise.
Cherise and Erik will get married here at the San Ramon Golf Club. Cherise is working on strengthening her legs so she can walk down the aisle when she marries the love of her life.
"Eighty percent of the battle is hope and you're attitude and staying positive. If you don't have that, if you don't have the attitude, the positivity, you're not going to make it...and life is so worth it," said Cherise.
