February 27, 2016
Source/Instagram
Luke and Natalie Blanock at wedding in Pittsburgh on Feb. 19, 2016. Luke, a former high school athletic star, was diagnosed with terminal cancer after his Ewing's sarcoma spread to other parts of his body.
A Pennsylvania teenager who was diagnosed with terminal cancer tied the knot with the love of his life last week after receiving a strong show of support from his family and community in Canonsberg.
Eighteen-year-old Luke Blanock, a former standout on his high school's baseball and basketball teams, married Natalie Britvich at a Feb. 19 ceremony organized in Pittsburgh by the Canonsberg community, according to ABC News.
In December 2013, at age 16, Blanock was diagnosed with Ewing's sarcoma, a rare bone cancer that spread and became terminal. In the time since his diagnosis, Blanock has undergone 24 rounds of chemotherapy, 100 radiation treatments and two surgeries. He even played a full baseball season for Canon-McMillan while receiving treatment, according to a GoFundMe page set up by his family.
Unwilling to let his diagnosis define him, Blanock proposed to Britvich and the wheels were set in motion for Canonsberg wedding planner Ashley Cyprowski, who coordinated a festive community wedding with more than 200 guests.
Getting married -- lol! pic.twitter.com/BRviaPf1tJ
— Luke Blanock (@lukeblanock11) February 19, 2016
"We got a ton of donations. The flowers, the reception hall itself, just a lot of people came together from our local community and donated their time, their services, and their goods," Cyprowski told ABC News. "I've never seen the family as happy as they were that day. Luke was so high energy, he was just glowing."
In an update on Luke's GoFundMe page, the family noted his brother Pierce's selection of a powerful toast from the 13th century Persian poet Rumi:
Love is Fearless in the midst of the sea of fear. Through Love bitter things become sweet, Through love bits of copper are made gold.
For her part, the bride posted a beautiful photo from the wedding under #LoveCameBlaKnocking
In the week since Luke and Natalie's nuptials, the newlyweds' story has spread across the Internet as an inspirational example of how to discover joy and support those in need when faced with life's greatest adversities. To date, the Blanock family has raised more than $9,000 through their GoFundMe page. If you would like to make a donation that will help defray the costs of a honeymoon, you can do so here.
