US girl, 10, ‘marries’ childhood sweetheart days before dying of leukaemia

A 10-year-old girl from the United States fulfilled her last wish to marry her childhood sweetheart just days before succumbing to acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. The girl, Emma Edwards, was diagnosed with the disease in April 2022. Her parents, Alina and Aaron Edwards, were hopeful of her recovery. However, in June 2023, they received the devastating news that Emma's illness had reached an incurable stage. Tragically, she passed away on July 11, 2023.

“We were going for another kind of treatment, and they told us that she probably had days to a week, not weeks to live. We didn’t expect to hear that at all," Alina told Kennedy News and Media.

Emma's dream was to marry her boyfriend, Daniel Marshall Christopher Williams Junior, also known as DJ. The couple had tried to "marry" at school during lunchtime when they were only eight years old. Upon learning of Emma's last wish, her family and friends joined forces to make it come true. A ceremony for the young couple was held on June 29, with 100 guests in attendance.

“It had to happen super fast. We threw it together in less than two days; everything ended up being donated,” Alina said of the wedding, a garden ceremony with some 100 guests in attendance.

“It was so precious, and it came together so well. Her dad gets to say he gave her away. A friend of ours officiated, a friend read a verse from the Bible, and her best friend was maid of honour,” Alina added.

Emma's father escorted her down the aisle in her grandmother’s garden. Their third-grade teacher spoke about how the two had met in school. The wedding was organized in less than two days, with everything being donated. A friend officiated the event, while another read a verse from the bible. Emma's best friend was the maid of honour.

Reflecting on Emma's life, her parents said they were grateful they could help their daughter achieve her dream before she passed away.