On December 22, Heather Lindsay and David Mosher got married. Eighteen hours later, Heather passed away from breast cancer.
This tragic ending did not overshadow the couple’s bright and joyous moment. After completing the ceremony from her hospital bed, Heather’s arms shot up in triumph.
Christina Karas, Heather’s bridesmaid, took the photographs of the couple’s big day. She managed to snap that moment when Heather, wearing an oxygen mask, raised her arms in celebration. “She’s getting to shout from the rooftops that she loves Dave and is able to say, ‘I’m his wife,’” Karas told TV station WFSB. David Mosher commented on the photograph that went viral, saying, “It reminds me of someone who is crossing the finish line of a marathon or something.”
The couple met in 2015 and immediately fell in love. On December 23 of that year, Heather received her diagnosis. It was also the day David had arranged to propose to her. He went ahead with his plan, including a horse-drawn carriage and proposed romantically under a street light.
“She was so hopeful,” Christina Karas told NBC. “The way we would talk about it, you always kind of felt this isn’t it.” They planned their wedding with excitement and hope, but when Heather’s health took a downward turn, everyone rushed to help them accomplish their biggest wish. Although very weak, Heather was able to put on her wedding gown and was taken to the St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center chapel where she and David exchanged vows. David later told WFSB news, “Nobody thought she would’ve made it that far. She proved them all wrong and that’s what that photo says to me.”
Both David and Christina recounted how strong and positive Heather was about her diagnosis. She never gave up and was joyful until the end. The wedding was the pinnacle of her fight. “That moment right there was like, ‘Death, I’m not afraid of you! I am so in love and I am going to celebrate that love right now,’” Karas said.
Heather Lindsay was a 31-year-old school psychologist when she passed away. She was buried on December 30, the same day on which her wedding had been planned.
