An engaged couple in Michigan is living life to the fullest. Until they are struck with horrific news before their planned wedding.
High school sweethearts Clay Slenk, 24, and Mariah Nelesen, 23, from Zeeland, started dating at the beginning of their senior year in 2015. Five years later, they got engaged on December 26, 2020. The couple decided they weren’t in a rush to get married because they were still young. The two planned a wedding for June 10, 2022.
But then Mariah was diagnosed with ovarian cancer on January 11. Eight days later, Clay was diagnosed with leukemia.
“We had a long engagement (and) were hoping to get married June 10 of this year,” Mariah told KTLA.
Things changed for the couple after they both received life-altering phone calls in January.
Clay shared with KTLA, “I got a phone call Jan. 11th of this year that I had ovarian cancer. That’s not a call that anyone expects to receive.”
Now, they’re getting married on April 9.
Clay needed immediate and aggressive treatment, which led to over 40 days in the hospital. While he went through that, Mariah started the process of freezing her eggs.
“Now, we’re into it deep,” Clay said. “And it’s not just one person, it’s both of us.”
The two have taken the approach of not being angry or upset and focusing on fighting for their future.
“Why be angry?” Clay asked. “If I’m angry and frustrated and down and negative, all it’s going to do is make this day that much worse.”
One of the reasons they say they moved the date up was because Clay had an aggressive treatment coming up. “We moved up our wedding date so we could be married during that time,” he said. “So she would be here to take care of me and we could go through that hard part together.”
Mariah was diagnosed with adult granulosa cell tumor ovarian cancer, “a low-grade cancer that requires treatment including both surgery and chemotherapy.”
As Clay was treated in a local hospital for more than 40 days, Mariah took steps to freeze her eggs, per KTLA.
“Now, we’re into it deep,” Clay told the news outlet. “And it’s not just one person, it’s both of us.”
Still, keeping an optimistic attitude, Clay continued, “Why be angry? If I’m angry and frustrated and down and negative, all it’s going to do is make this day that much worse.”
“I was caught up in planning and excited for all the little details, like the venue we were going to be at and the food that we were going to have,” Mariah said. “Replanning the wedding, I’ve just thrown all of that out the window. It’s going to be a special day no matter what, and we’re going to have burgers and brats on the grill.”
Despite the odds, the couple is hopeful.
“There’ll be a little more sickness before the health, but that’s alright,” Clay said.
Watch the video below for more details: