A couple, who had been high school sweethearts, finally got the chance to tie the knot. Everything seemed to be going their way, but shortly after their wedding, the woman was diagnosed with an incurable disease.
Dave McLoughlin and Michelle Crowe, both originally from Tipperary, Ireland, fell in love as high school sweethearts in 2004. Over the years, they remained inseparable and had dreams of a long and happy life together. In 2016, McLoughlin proposed to Crowe and they began planning their perfect wedding. However, their plans were disrupted when Crowe was diagnosed with an incurable disease.
Despite this, they decided to go ahead with their wedding plans and tie the knot. But just five days after their wedding, tragedy struck when Crowe passed away, leaving McLoughlin devastated. In addition to this heartbreaking loss, McLoughlin’s mother, Noreen McLoughlin, had also passed away at the age of 72.
McLoughlin’s loss of his mother was followed by the tragic passing of Crowe’s parents, John and Nora, at the age of 57. Their wedding plans were repeatedly postponed, but the couple remained optimistic about their future. However, in 2022, their hopes were shattered when Crowe was diagnosed with an untreatable illness just months after the birth of their youngest child.
Following the birth of their second child, doctors delivered the devastating news to Crowe that she had developed breast cancer. She had discovered a large tumor in her left breast, and surgery was the only way to move forward.
A Hopeful Road to Recovery
In January, Crowe gave birth to her youngest son, Oisin McLoughlin. However, in July, she discovered a large lump in her breast, which was diagnosed as breast cancer. Despite the devastating news, Crowe remained hopeful and began chemotherapy in the hopes of eradicating the tumor and continuing with her life.
Unfortunately, chemotherapy did not successfully treat Crowe’s cancer. The next option was a mastectomy, which she believed would be effective. She underwent the surgery on February 14, 2023, and the doctors advised the couple to plan their summer vacation as they believed the cancer was removed.
However, a few weeks later, Crowe began experiencing severe stomach pain, leading her and McLoughlin to visit their doctor once again. The diagnosis was not positive, as the cancer had spread to her liver, causing the pain. The couple had limited options, and the disease was worsening.
McLoughlin described the following days after the second diagnosis, seeing his wife grow weaker and lose color. Despite this, Crowe remained optimistic and tried to focus on the positive. Nonetheless, they both knew the gravity of the situation and were acutely aware of everything they still wanted to do together.
McLoughlin observed that despite Crowe’s deteriorating health, she made an effort to stay optimistic. However, as the disease progressed, Crowe’s condition worsened, and she had to be admitted to the hospital. The couple had to put their wedding plans on hold once again.
Finally, a Wedding
Despite Crowe’s deteriorating health and being hospitalized, a nurse suggested to McLoughlin that they fulfill their dream of getting married by having the ceremony on the hospital grounds. McLoughlin remembered the nurse approaching him with the idea and asking if he would be willing to marry Crowe in the hospital.
After considering the nurse’s suggestion, McLoughlin and Crowe decided to proceed with the wedding. The couple had been together since they were 15 and 16 and had dreamed of their wedding for a long time. However, unforeseen circumstances had repeatedly forced them to postpone the event for over six years. Nonetheless, they realized that they could no longer wait.
The hospital staff rallied together to create an exceptional wedding for the couple. Their guests gathered in the hospital chapel with a playlist of Crowe and McLoughlin’s favorite songs playing. Despite her condition, Crowe insisted on walking down the aisle to her own wedding.
McLoughlin fondly remembers their wedding day, admiring his wife’s bravery and appearance. Finally, on March 20, the couple exchanged their vows, even though they had been through so much together already.
After the ceremony, the staff at University Hospital Limerick decorated the couple’s room with LED lights and left them some non-alcoholic wine to celebrate. Although it was not the wedding they had imagined, McLoughlin and Crowe made the best of it.
After all the turmoil, Crowe’s cancer had spread too far, and there were no further treatment options. She spent her final days in the hospital with her loved ones surrounding her, but unfortunately, she passed away on March 25, just five days after their wedding. McLoughlin was forced to plan his wife’s funeral in the aftermath.
McLoughlin remembered that he and his family members sat by her bedside after her passing, sharing a bottle of gin together. He added:
“Her favorite thing to do was sit in the garden at the firepit and sit out and listen to songs into the early hours. I’ve not listened to a song since. She loved music. She loved our kids more than anything.”
After Crowe’s passing, the community came together to hold a wake, with many dressed in pink and sporting shaved heads in a show of support against breast cancer. McLoughlin spoke about the profound impact of his loss, expressing his deep sorrow and the feeling that life without Crowe was unrecognizable. He shared candidly:
“The pain gets worse and worse. I’m in the car and I hold my hand out for her and call out for a coffee. I’ll never look at anyone in the same way. She was one-in-a-million. I’m here for the boys.”
Crowe leaves behind her husband and two sons, Cillian and Oisin McLoughlin. In the aftermath of her passing, McLoughlin is focusing all his energy on raising their children and keeping his wife’s memory alive. He fondly remembers Crowe as the happiest person he ever met.