A terminally ill father has fulfilled his dying wish by walking all four of his children down the ill in an emotional farewell ceremony.
Ken McHugh, 42, was told he should stop chemotherapy and spend time with his family following a five year battle with pancreatic cancer, which he did for years. But no amount of family time would replace the things Ken felt he would miss out on – especially seeing his children get married.
“The most horrible and emotional thing my wife and I have ever had to do was to tell our children I was dying,” Ken wrote on his campaign page, “To tell them I wouldn’t see them all turn into teenagers, wouldn’t see them graduate high school, get married- that I wouldn’t walk any of my three beautiful daughters down the aisle or get to hold and spoil any of their children, my grandchildren.”
Although Ken won’t be around to walk his children down the aisle at their weddings, the family decided that he should have a chance to fulfil his last wish.
Organising what they called ‘the family wedding’, Ken and his family hosted a small and intimate ceremony in their hometown of Chester Springs, Pennsylvania.
With the girls wearing beautiful dresses and the men wearing smart suits, Ken walked each of his children, Samantha, 19, Dylan, 17, Julia, 15 and Kathryn, 14, down the aisle and then read them a heartfelt letter about their lives and how much he loved them. The family then stood at the end of the aisle to see the Ken and his wife Tammy renewed their vows of marriage to each other after 20 years.
“It was very remarkable,” Tammy said, “I don’t know if everyone cries when they’re renewing their vows, but the both of us sure did.
“He walked them [the kids] down the aisle and read them a summary of letter he wrote to each of them–talking about how they came into this world, reflecting on their persona and character and what he sees for them in the future,” she said.
“Even though he won’t be there, he will always be by their sides.”
