A day after marrying the love of his life, Ron Clarke has successfully undergone brain surgery.
Clarke is resting in stable condition following the four hour surgery. Long-term prognosis remains unclear, but Clarke is hopeful the surgery will prolong his life.
A special wedding ceremony took place at Windsro Regional Hospital on Thursday, one that perhaps reminds us all of the true meaning of love.
It's a love story that’s 13 years in the making, but it wasn't the wedding Ron and Stephanie Clarke had originally planned. They were going to marry next June. Plans changed when Ron was diagnosed with brain cancer this summer.
“They did the MRI and that's when they found the tumor the size of a golf ball," says Ron.
When the couple learned how aggressive the tumor was, they bumped up the wedding date.
“Our lives change literally momentarily," says Stephanie.
The couple chose Oct. 31, the day before Ron will undergo his third complicated brain surgery. He is vowing not just to love his wife and three children unconditionally, but he's also vowing to fight for them.
“Dad always told us, fight like a wolverine if you want it bad enough," says Ron. “I couldn't have gone through half of this stuff if it wasn't for her."
“I married my best friend, my soul mate, the love of my life,” says Stephanie. “And it makes him happy because he's always wanted to marry me."
The couple's children say it's about time.
“I think it's great because they haven't been married for 13 years and they're finally getting married," says daughter Ireland Clarke.
Even on a day filled with intense emotions, the couple found lots of laughter.
