These are likely his last days. Meanwhile, it's her new beginning.
A Lorain woman's grandfather was recently diagnosed with cancer, but she was determined for him not to miss her big day.
Lindsay Miller and her fiancé Keith Lewandowski were supposed to get married in 2020. She imagined having a big wedding, wearing a nice ballroom gown.
But then, her only surviving grandfather, 81-year-old Bob Miller, was given a few weeks or maybe even a few days to live. Last week, he was diagnosed with stage four bone and prostate cancer.
"When I first got the diagnosis, I was a mess, crying a lot," Lindsay said. "But, I try not to because that’s not how he would want it to be."
Three months ago, her grandfather got sick. At the time, Lindsay told her fiancé Keith she wanted her grandfather to see them get married.
“If anything happens, if we get word that it’s not going to be good, I want to get married,” she said about a conversation she had at the time with her fiancé, Keith.
After receiving the devastating news he was dying of cancer, Miller knew he would never see her walk down the aisle. She also knew her fairytale wedding would be no fairytale if he wasn’t there.
So, the couple decided to bring the wedding to him.
"As soon as she said, I’m not sure how long he is going to last, so we need to do this now, I said, 'Okay, let’s do it,'" Keith Lewandowski.
On Friday, at Akron’s Summa Hospital, Lindsay Miller became Lindsay Lewandowski, with her grandfather watching from his hospital bed. The two said the words “I Do” as Judge Joy Oldfield presided over the ceremony. Both of their parents were there. Lindsay’s sisters, who live out of state, watched via FaceTime.
“I wanted him there,” Lindsay said. “I wanted him to see me get married, and my grandma was really excited to and when I first told her she started crying.”
Lindsay says her grandfather played an important role in her life. She says he has always been there for her, and is a nice guy with a great sense of humor. Their connection was special.
“When I got both sides of my nose pierced, my grandpa got fake nose rings so he can match me,” she said. “Him and I always had a special connection.”
Because of her grandfather’s condition, Lindsay says it’s possible he didn’t hear or see the ceremony. She says that didn’t matter. The only thing that did matter was that he was physically there.
The newly married couple plans on having an actual wedding, which will be considered a vowel renewal ceremony, in two years. The couple wants family and friends who didn’t take part in their ceremony at the hospital to attend.
It have have not been the wedding Lindsay imagined, but she wouldn’t want it any other way.
"It wasn’t a dream wedding, but it was a dream wedding if that makes sense."