Once my mom and dad moved to Florida after my daughter Brittany was born, it was devastating to me. After being such a close-knit family, how was I going to live without my parents down the block from me? Despite the distance between us, they always made it to every one of my kids’ birthday parties, special events, and made sure they went to their sporting events, stayed with my children when I needed to go on a business trip, and called all the time. I remember some of my friends telling me how lucky I was to have such a perfect and loving family and that my parents were just so awesome.

Our parents never let us down, ever. Mom and Dad were very outgoing people, always had parties and loved being around friends until my mom’s cancer. When my mom was diagnosed with cancer in 2012, all of our lives had changed forever. She is the glue that holds our family together. From the day she was diagnosed, my dad has not left her side. He has been so strong through all of this and therefore he deserves to be called our “hero”. It is not easy to see your wife of 51 years one day playing mahjong with her friends, traveling, organizing club after club, going to gym, making scarves and crafts, laughing and smiling, to being in pain and not being able to do much. I give him a lot of credit for holding it all together. My mom has always been there for my dad through thick and thin and now my dad is there for my mom in sickness or in health. They have renewed their vows a few times already and still always say “I do” without hesitation.

I am so grateful that they were both able to be at my wedding on August 12, 2012. Mom had already had an operation and chemotherapy treatments, but managed to look past the pain just so I could have a good day. She looked absolutely beautiful with her glowing smile and my handsome dad right there beside her.