With the help of loved ones, a woman battling a rare stage 4 cancer has renewed her wedding vows with her husband ahead of their 25th anniversary. In just 24 hours, the touching ceremony was arranged and was held on Valentine’s Day at sundown.
Florida native Charlene Owens, 50, and Nebraska-born Steve, 47, will have been married for 25 years on Sept. 26, 2023. Currently based in Martin County, Florida the couple have two sons: Bryce, 22, and Connor, 19, who was born with special needs.
Charlene was diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic bile duct cancer in August 2022 after finding a small lump on her upper abdomen.
She told The Epoch Times, “My reaction was to ... call a really good friend of mine, who has had cancer twice herself. I just knew she would be able to direct me to the best care and best people possible.”
On learning the news about his wife’s diagnosis, Steve was terrified. Charlene said: “I’ve been Connor’s caretaker for the whole 19 years. Steve was always there if I needed him, but basically, that was my area of expertise ... just the thought of me not being here anymore, and him having to take that on plus be a father to Bryce, and then the business ...”
However, Steve, an irrigation company owner stood by Charlene, a former nurse who worked with Special Forces medics, as she underwent two rounds of chemotherapy. The first was unsuccessful, the second reaped poor results. After starting her third regimen, Charlene ended up in the hospital for six days with a 104.7-degree fever.
“That’s when we decided we were not going to try chemo anymore, that we were gonna live our best life for as long as God gave me breath,” Charlene said. “So I am on hospice now, and they will be taking care of me. But I feel way better now than I did when I was on chemo, and we’re just doing the best that we can.”
For her and Steve’s 25th wedding anniversary this year, Charlene had already been planning on renewing wedding vows in September. However, when her prognosis changed, she hatched a plan with the help of her sisters, Mary and Brenda, her friend Casey, her cousin Susie, and her trusted “firecracker” nurse, Mary Smith.
“I hadn’t really given it much thought after the diagnosis, just wondering if I was going to make it that long,” Charlene said. “But then they said ... ‘Well, tomorrow’s Valentine’s Day!’ and it just went from there. It started on the 13th, and it was done within 24 hours.”
They all then got to work, arranged flowers and refreshments, and reserved the prayer garden at Coastal Life Church in Palm City, Florida.
“It’s beautiful,” Charlene said of the venue. “It has a mirrazeebo and benches; some of the benches are dedicated to people that have gone before. It’s on the water, and it’s just such a pretty place.”
Charlene instructed Steve to write his vows and reached out to her pastor and favorite song minister at Christ Fellowship, who both agreed to attend the ceremony to officiate and sing. At 5 p.m. on Feb. 14, in front of around 50 close family members and friends, Charlene wore her original wedding dress and walked down the aisle with her sons to meet Steve at the prayer garden’s waterfront.
Charlene told The Epoch Times that Steve was “super proud,” that she was her authentic self. She said: “One of the things that stood out to me was he said that when the door opened, and he saw me for the first time, he was super glad that I didn’t try to wear a wig. I was just myself, and he said he'd never seen me look more beautiful.”
Despite her battle against cancer, Charlene’s vows contained words of gratitude.
She said: “It may sound weird to people, but I’m thankful that I got cancer because it changed who I am as a person. It made my relationship with Christ so much closer and stronger, and my relationship with my husband very close and strong as well.”
As for Steve, he was just grateful for the time the couple has spent together. Charlene believes that the day couldn’t have been better.
Charlene and Steve met for the first time at a small country music concert with coworkers, after spotting each other at Charlene’s church a couple of times. The following night, they were both stood up by their mutual friends for a group dinner, and spent the evening together instead.
“We have been together ever since,” Charlene said.
Renewing their wedding vows was important to her in order to recognize how much she and Steve have been through in their marriage.
“[E]verything to do with our child with special needs. We’ve had ... a rollercoaster of emotions,” she said. “We were discouraged at times, we were exhausted at times, and we’ve just learned so much. We just wanted to renew our vows and say to one another that no matter what, through circumstances, we will always be there for each other. We will be together fighting, whatever comes our way, with God’s help.”
