When Brucie the Bullmastiff was diagnosed with cancer, Estelle and Danny Harris were devastated. They were even more heartbroken to learn that he may not make it to their wedding day and wouldn’t get to see them tie the knot.
Their wedding was set to happen in May 2019. But in December, Brucie developed a blue tongue and white gums, showing that he wasn’t getting enough oxygen in his body. Shortly after, he was rushed to a vet, where he was diagnosed with pleural effusion, and his lungs and heart needed to be drained of fluid.
Then, vets discovered a cancerous tumor within his chest. Estelle and Danny were told that it may be time to say goodbye. After a seven-hour surgery that involved the removal of multiple ribs, Brucie pulled through – but he was only given up to four months to live before his extremely aggressive cancer, hemangiosarcoma took his life.
So, the Derbyshire couple made a bold decision. Instead of chancing it, they decided to shift their big red-letter day early – just three weeks after they received this tragic news. This meant forfeiting their deposit on their wedding venue, giving up on catering plans, and losing multiple guests.
But it all didn’t matter to them because Estelle knew she simply could not go through with the wedding if Brucie weren’t around. Estelle has had Brucie since he was two months old, and she could not bear to have him excluded from her big day.
Estelle and Danny went to the Burton Registry Office to get married, and Estelle’s family members prepared some tidbits and finger foods, as there was no catering and very few guests. To some, it may seem like a huge sacrifice, but to Estelle, there’s no other way she’d rather have it.
Brucie and Danny wore matching outfits for the ceremony. Just an hour after hanging out at the venue, Brucie became exhausted and needed to sleep. Estelle considers the pup the most important thing about the proceedings, and the sacrifice was all worth it just to have him there for a little while.
Today, Brucie is two months into his life expectancy, and a diet change has him doing better than before. Estelle and Danny are truly glad he was able to be a part of their wedding, and they would not have it any other way.
READ NEXT: Dog Found Dying in a Dumpster Gets a Home for Christmas
