Woman learns she is terminally ill with 45 TUMORS the day before her wedding - What she does next astonishes

'I wasn't sure it would be fair to marry in those circumstances. But it was only a fleeting thought and we had decided to go ahead with the wedding.'

Twenty-nine-year-old Milly Simmie, from Tonbridge, Kent, was told she had a rare condition and 45 tumors the day before her wedding. Despite the news, Simmie continued with the ceremony after sharing the diagnosis with her wedding party and guests.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - "I have vowed not to take my condition lying down. I've always been very positive and delimited - now more than ever," Simmie said.

Three weeks before their July wedding, Simmie fell from her horse and broke her collar bone. When she was taken to Tunbridge Wells hospital, she received an x-ray and reported chest soreness. The doctor ordered a chest x-ray as a precaution, which led the hospital to ask Simmie for a second x-ray.

The second x-ray revealed 40 small tumors in her lungs and five in her liver. 

"I've always enjoyed good health and being active," Simmie said, "so when I was told I had 45 tumours in my vital organs after a routine X Ray I was obviously very concerned."

The couple learned of the tumors ten days before their wedding. Simmie described her then fiance as moving on auto-pilot. She considered cancelling the wedding as she believed she "had a matter of months," and said, "I wasn't sure it would be fair to marry in those circumstances. But it was only a fleeting thought and we had decided to go ahead with the wedding."

In the days leading to their wedding, Simmie had an MRI of her liver then underwent a biopsy. The results came back the day before she was to be wed.

Simmie was diagnosed with Epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (EHE), a rare form of cancer that can occur in the liver, lungs, bones or other soft tissue sites. She was then told the survival rate was between two and 10 years.

In contrast to how most would react, Simmie claims she was happy with the diagnosis. "It was better than what AI thought it could have been," she said, "because I was thinking it was stage four melanoma or similar. I just wanted to enjoy the wedding and then learn more about the EHE."
On her wedding day, Simmie told her bridesmaids then her guests her diagnosis.

"Everyone was very supportive and rallied round," Simmie said. "They were going to give us the best wedding and we would deal with my health after. Alistair was understandably upset but we both just wanted to enjoy the day. My bridesmaids were amazing, they worked so hard to make sure everything came together. The guests just wanted to have a really good day, as I wanted them to."

The day of her wedding, Simmie chose to ignore her diagnosis. She was able to participate in everything but the dancing after the main traditions, as she felt unusually exhausted.

During the exchange of vows, Alistair broke down as he promised to marry her "in sickness and in health, until death do us part."

Following the ceremony, Simmie approached the vicar at the small church to inquire about a burial plot and the couple was forced to cancel their honeymoon in preparation for chemotherapy.

It was not until after the ceremony that they learned chemotherapy is not necessary. Professor Ian Judson, one of the UK's EHE experts, said Simmie's EHE is an "indolent" type, meaning it develops slowly and there is no telling when it will become aggressive.

Simmie was told surgery can remove the tumors on her liver, but the tumors in her lungs should be watched. She chose not to initiate surgery on her liver, as it would be risky and invasive. Instead, Simmie decided to travel to the United States next year for ablation therapy, which is a minimally-invasive procedure to destroy abnormal tissue.

With the ablation therapy, the tumors would be burned, frozen or electrocuted from her liver. 

Though there is no cure for EHE, Simmie has started a Just Giving page to raise enough money to pay for the $25,000 procedure and to raise extra funds to help others suffering EHE.

Before beginning treatment, which is only available in the United States, Simmie has decided that "being positive and having a super healthy diet" can help her improve her health. 

"I've always been healthy," she said, "but now more than ever. I juice, avoid sugars and dairy and take supplements. I've swapped biscuits for broccoli." Simmie continues to maintain a positive attitude and thrives with the help of Alistair, who she reports has been extremely supportive.

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