Claim: Photographs show Katie Kirkpatrick, a 21-year-old cancer victim who passed away five days after her wedding.
TRUE
Example: [Collected via e-mail, March 2009]
Beautiful Lesson !!!!!!!!
The girl in the picture is Katie Kirkpatrick, she is 21. Next to her, her fiancé, Nick, 23. The picture was taken shortly before their wedding ceremony, held on
In spite of all the pain, organ failures, and morphine shots, Katie is going along with her wedding and took care of every detail. The dress had to be adjusted a few times due to her constant weight loss.
An unusual accessory at the wedding was the oxygen tube that Katie used throughout the ceremony and reception as well. The other couple in the picture are Nick's parents. Excited to see there son marrying his high school sweetheart.
Katie, in her wheelchair with the oxygen tube, listening a song from her husband and friends
At the reception, Katie had to take a few rest breaks. The pain wouldn't allow her to stand up for long periods.
Katie died five days after her wedding day. Watching a women so ill and weak getting married and with a smile on her face makes us think..... Happiness is reachable, no matter how long it last. We should stop making our lives complicated.
Origins: On Valentine's Day 2002, Katie Kirkpatrick, then a freshman at Rochester College (a small Christian college in Rochester Hills, Michigan) was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. Undaunted, Katie strove to keep up with her studies, but she suffered another setback in 2003 when she was diagnosed with "an inoperable lung tumor wrapped around her pulmonary artery." Nonetheless, in 2004 the resilient Katie took part in champion cyclist Lance Armstrong's "Ride for the Roses" cancer fundraiser:
Says Katie of Armstrong, "I like his attitude and his perseverance. I admire him for the way he dealt with his cancer, and his attitude: 'You know what, this isn't going to beat me!'"
Dr. Craig Bowman of the Bible faculty spearheaded a campus and area-wide effort that raised $28,000 which made one of Katie's dreams come true: riding with six-time Tour de France winner and fellow cancer survivor Lance Armstrong in his Ride for the Roses cancer fundraiser.
On 15 January 2005, 21-year-old Katie — the girl "with a contagious smile and unrelenting optimism" who had been battling cancer for three
She did not let sickness stop her from living, take away the hope or faith that made her believe she had a future. She had a lovely wedding and she had love and she gave love and love doesn't die. And that is how Katie beat cancer.
Additional photographs of Katie and her wedding can be viewed on the National Press Photographers Association (NPPA) web site.
Katie's Spa in Lapeer, Michigan (a business which specializes in services to cancer patients), is named in Katie's memory, as is
Sadly, the event that likely prompted circulation of this item in
Last updated: 2 April 2009
Sources: |
Bryant, Noreen. "A Shining Star." Rochester College News. 25 October 2004. Morrison, Kara G. "Wedding Blessed Bride's Final Days." The Detroit News. 23 January 2005. Reiz, Rose Mary. "Spa Is Legacy of Lapeer East Grad." The Flint Journal. 9 September 2007. Tunnicliff, Greg and Bryn Mickle . "David 'KP' Kirkpatrick Was Dedicated to Family and Students." The Flint Journal. 20 March 2009.