In January 2015, Anna Swabey was given only three years to live after being diagnosed with a terminal brain tumor that was found to be inoperable.
According to her personal essay "What it feels like to date when you're terminally ill" from Marie Claire UK, when the cancer blogger from Durham, England was given the tragic news, she “panicked” because she was afraid she might never get “the chance to meet 'the one.'”
So that next month, she joined Tinder and immediately swiped right on Andy Bell, the man she would end up becoming engaged to.
Swabey explained,
I knew halfway through my third date with Andy that I was going to break his heart. Not because I was going to cheat on him or dump him, but because I knew I was going to die.
Bell, however, wasn't fazed when she brought up her illness. She quickly realized he simply wanted to "get to know" her.
And 10 months after they met, he proposed.
Best weekend with my #hen #henparty #bridetobe pic.twitter.com/mk1NOeogws — Inside My Head (@braintumourblog) June 27, 2016
She recalled,
As he got down on one knee, I cried and asked if he was sure – if we went ahead, he'd be a widower before he was 30 […] But he said that he'd rather be married to me for a few years than not at all.
Sadly, this 25-year-old bride-to-be died just one day before she was about to marry the love of her life in front of 160 of her closest friends and family.
Early yesterday morning, Swabey's family announced her passing on the Facebook page for her blog, Inside My Head:
I cannot put into words the heartbreak we all feel, but amongst our sadness, we are so proud of her courage, her spirit and the determination she showed throughout her illness.
Though Swabey noted in her essay that she had come to terms with her death, she still struggled with how it would affect her fiancé. She was concerned with how he'd cope when she would "start slipping away."
But, Swabey concluded that was why they were getting married in the first place:
It's not about a dress or a big party, it's about making memories for Andy and making a commitment to each other. Terminal illness has taught me to seize opportunities, so I have to trust him when he says he wants to be with me forever. Even if we don't know how long that is.
Thank you to the lovely ladies @LeggsDarlington for helping me find the perfect dress for Cinderella's Charity Ballpic.twitter.com/xDPwQlgzgD — Inside My Head (@braintumourblog) May 3, 2015
In an interview with Daily Mail in July, Bell also said,
I know that by marrying Anna, I'll be a widower before my 30th birthday. However, all I want is to be able to introduce her as 'my wife.' I can't wait for that moment.
Before her passing, Swabey set up a fundraiser through her blog for the Brain Tumour Research Campaign. She has currently raised more than $86,500, and people can still donate.
Citations: Cancer Blogger Anna Swabey Dies Just One Day Before Her Wedding (Us Weekly)
