At the age of 26, Lauren was diagnosed with breast cancer according to reports today. Soon she and Michael Bank met. Soon he became the love of her life. Lauren discovered that the cancer had metastasized to the liver, bones and lungs. But she refused to change the date of her wedding. The date they chose was important to her and Michael.
Michael and Lauren tied the knot on March 24, 2018. It was three years after their first date. Their first date was at the Tree of Life, a temple in Columbia. Their wedding was decorated with white, black and red polka dots to symbolize Lauren’s battle with cancer.
Her friends and other stage 4 cancer survivors also honor her every Wednesday by wearing similar polka dots. Michael was happy that she was able to plan the wedding of her dreams. He knew she didn’t have long to live.
The couple had family and friends at the wedding. Many of these people were cancer survivors themselves. However, there were a few people missing, including Lauren’s parents. They both lost their lives in their own battles with cancer before Lauren was 20, according to Greenville News. Lauren’s brother walked her down the aisle.
Michael and Lauren’s commitments were so important that they meant the most to each other. They knew that when they said “in sickness and in health”, it was more likely in sickness than in health. Lauren felt quite well for several months after her wedding. She even did a clinical trial which I hope will save you more time. However, she stopped treatment just two weeks before her death.
They thought they still had a few months left. However, things did not turn out that way. Fortunately, Lauren felt well until the last day. Michael said Lauren has become more comfortable. He decided to take her to the bedroom.
“I carried her to the bed, lay down next to her and held her hand, and after about three minutes I lost her,” he said on WLTX.
Lauren passed away on Sunday evening October 21, 2018. She was 30 years old. She will be missed by her friends, family and many other acquaintances. I have touched life a lot.
Michael posted a sad goodbye on Laurin’s Facebook page.
“It is with great sadness that we say goodbye to our beautiful queen,” he began. “She left a big hole in all of our hearts, and I’m honored to be her king. I managed to carry her to bed and hold her until my last breath.”
Lauren didn’t want to be someone who was considered to have “lost her battle”. She hoped people would remember the courage with which she faced her illness.