She was barefoot, dazzling, and took me by the arm and we took a short stroll up the aisle. And I was a happy man. This was a day I thought might never come. This was her day…her wedding day.
It was also her birthday—June 9th. She was born 28 years ago in Khartoum, Sudan and 22 months later we arrived in Houston at M.D. Anderson Hospital direct from our little village of Chukudum. And then began a life and death odyssey—a battle of the very worst of cancers with the very best of modern medicine. And, against all odds, Cammie is alive, and well…and now married.
Joy ran deep.
All weddings are celebrations, but I think you might be getting the picture this was one where the celebration was multi-faceted. And lots of fun. And not without a hitch. Two minutes before I walked Cammie down the aisle, I noticed that my brother Norm was not on his video camera in the balcony. So I grabbed Arthur, a nephew (later assisted by another nephew, Daniel) and together they did the videoing. So we got most of it. Norm had left an hour before the start to get some cord so he could go straight from the church’s sound system into the camera. He did not get lost. He just lost track of time and did not make it back until after everything was over.
And then there was Dr. Creighton Edwards and his wife. They had driven up from Houston. It was Dr. Edwards that ended up doing a good number of Cammie’s surgeries over a span of 14 years or so. After I introduced him at the reception (along with Charlene and Rosie, two Sonogram techs that we have come to know and love over the years), it was amazing to see the number of guestswho came up to Dr. Edwards to thank him for his dedication to his calling and for his expertise.
When I get access to the pictures, I will send you some—or route you to a website where you can see even more. And you can see Cammie in all her beauty, and her husband Jeremy (the lucky fellow).
A new beginning. A new life together. A renewed sense of joy for all of us.
We are indeed blessed.
June 2007