Terminally ill grandmother given just months to live renews vows to husband after 42 years of marriage

News

23 Feb 2017

A woman who has been given just months to live has managed to fulfil her wish of renewing her vows to her husband after 42 years of marriage.

LOROS patient Lyn Kilbourne, 59, of Huncote, who is battling terminal lung cancer, renewed her vows with husband Steve on 4th February, surrounded by dozens of family and friends.

The couple, who have two children and three grandchildren, had planned for the ceremony to take place in July, shortly before Lyn’s 60th birthday but they were advised by doctors to bring the date forward due to her deteriorating health.

“It was the most perfect day,” said Lyn, who met Steve as a teenager and married him at 17.

“It was everything I’d imagined and more.”

As she has trouble breathing, Lyn feared she would not be able to walk down the aisle but she managed it, arm-in-arm with Steve to ‘Sing Baby Sing’ by The Stylistics.

“All I wanted to do was walk down the aisle and we did, we walked down together, with the grandchildren behind us. It was absolutely amazing,” she added.

“Our two grandsons wore matching suits to Steve and our granddaughter wore a navy dress; it was lovely.”

The couple, who renewed their vows in St James Church, Huncote, walked out to Starship’s ‘Nothing’s Going to Stop Us Now’.

“Both the song we walked in and out to had such meaning because they were both number one during the year that we got married 42 years ago,” said Lyn, who has only spent three days away from Steve since they first wed.

“We said the traditional vows but after everything we’ve been through, especially recently, the words meant so much.”

The day’s colour scheme was black and white, with a touch of yellow, which Lyn said represented ‘summer’ and ‘brightness’.

Together, the couple had spent months prior to the event creating decorations and personal touches, to ensure the day truly represented them.

Lyn chose a silver dress to wear and she made sure to have her nails and hair done especially for the day.

“I felt absolutely beautiful,” said Lyn, who has had numerous stints of chemotherapy and radiotherapy since being diagnosed.

“I was made to feel very special.”

After the church ceremony, the event continued at Countesthorpe’s Village Hall, which ended with a barn dance, with more than 70 of Lyn and Steve’s friends and family celebrating into the night.

“Lyn looked absolutely beautiful but she always does, to me,” said 63-year-old Steve, who is a postman.

“It was a very emotional but happy day.

“It was happy because I know it’s what Lyn wanted. She didn’t want it to be a sad occasion.”

Just days after renewing their vows, Lyn’s health took a turn for the worse and she was rushed into Glenfield Hospital.

She is currently an inpatient on the ward at LOROS, after frequently visiting the Hospice since her diagnosis as a Day Therapy patient, as well as having complementary therapy.

“I honestly think my body kept going, until the big day,” said Lyn.

“I’m just so pleased that we’ve been able to create that memory, so people will remember that day instead of me dying.”

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