Roxanne & Joseph

Roxanne and Joseph, the recipients of The Wedding Pink - 2012.

Their dream wedding took place on May 17 in Beaver Creek, Colorado. It was a joyous celebration for all and a perfect ending to her story of survival. 

Tomorrow is our anniversary, Joseph and I have almost been together for nine years.  We made a pact way back when that we would see where the road took us and if we lasted ten years, we would get married.  It’s funny to think back to that time.  We met at a summer BBQ and we were friends of friends but just had never met before.  I was twenty-seven and Joseph was twenty-five. We have been literally inseparable since then as fate had it.  We now have two children together, the oldest who is turning seven this November, and the youngest who is turning the BIG 2 next month.  We also have Joseph’s two sixteen year olds and a fifteen year old and they come to visit faithfully throughout the year.  Our family is big but such a blessing. 

Joseph and I have talked about marriage over the years but didn’t want to ruin a good thing.  Not to mention the fact that Joseph has always refused to marry me without giving me the wedding of my dreams.  You see he is a perfect gentleman and believes I deserve the world.  I, on the other hand, tend to think that our family would never be able to afford dreams and I never really needed something out of a fairytale.  I unexpectedly lost my mother when I was eighteen and raised my brother who was thirteen at the time.  My father is barely making ends meet for him and his wife.  Joseph never had his father, and his mother suffers from Fibromyalgia and just had a craniotomy to remove an aneurysm last July.  I would be happy with the vow before God alone and his blessings.

I was recently diagnosed with ductal breast cancer that is a triple negative on May 25, 2011.  Being only thirty-five years old on that day, I was devastated.  For my family and I, it almost seems unreal still at times.  I am having my third round of chemo tomorrow on our anniversary and have five more left.  I will be going through a lumpectomy in November with radiation afterwards, all in hopes of killing this cancer and providing the best chance at pushing it out of my life forever.  I am positive that I am already healed by my most precious Lord.  I actually found my lump in time and the tumor has not spread into my lymph nodes or any other part of my body.  Praise God!  He pardoned me and that was when he healed me.  I believe the fight I am going through now with my body is to ensure that this cancer is GONE FOREVER.  I pray every day that God protect my bones, nerves, brain, heart, and healthy cells while this chemo does its work.  Prayer is so powerful!  And when life throws something such as this in your path, your faith is the only thing that will pull you through.  I love to give my testimony of faith as much as I can.  I am blessed.  

All that being said, Joseph and I actually decided shortly after my diagnosis to go downtown and get married on July 26, 2011, our nine year anniversary.  Why wait?  My son has been asking me, “Why aren’t you married yet?”  So this brings us to today.  Why didn’t we follow through?  Well, because of all of you.  After sharing our story with my social worker at the breast care center, we were given information about The Wedding Pink.  I am completely beside myself with the opportunity to even hope for such a blessing.  And I have to be quite honest, I am blown away by the dedication and heart that still exists in this crazy world through everyone involved in such an amazing gift as The Wedding Pink.  A gift as such changes the lives of others forever.  God will bless you all beyond your wildest dreams. 

There is no way to compete for such an honor as this and I really and truly believe everyone that applies is worthy of some sunshine right now.  Joseph and I would just like to thank you all for your time and consideration from the bottom of hearts.  Please help us to show our children that marriage is something grand and worth waiting for.  This honor would be a perfect ending to my story of survival.   Thank you and God Bless.

Roxanne and Joseph