On April 15, eight years to the day we first met, I married the love of my life in a small hospital room surrounded by beeping machines, a small handful of people, and a camera to capture this moment of joy (“They fell in love in college. They married in his hospice room,” Page A1, June 17).
My husband’s name was Robbie, and he had the kindest heart and an infectious smile. Ten days after we said, “I do,” he was gone. A rare form of bone cancer, Ewing sarcoma, ended his life much too soon.
Soon after his cancer relapsed, we had to make the most difficult decision of our lives: to enter hospice and receive palliative care.
This support gave us the opportunity to do something we both wanted more than anything — to get married. With the city registrar coming to officiate in Robbie’s hospital room, we were able to make his final wish come true.
In the months since our story became national news, countless families have reached out to me and told me how meaningful hospice or palliative care was to them during their time of loss and grief.
If you are feeling scared and confused about hospice or palliative care, that’s OK. Robbie, I, and our family were too. While it was a very sad time for us, it was also filled with many wonderful memories that I’ll always cherish, especially exchanging our wedding vows.
I encourage anyone undergoing aggressive treatments to explore their palliative care options and anyone nearing the end of their life to learn more about hospice options. Online resources like CaringInfo.org can help you figure out what questions to ask and make a plan to have difficult conversations.
Robbie also felt strongly about supporting cutting-edge Ewing sarcoma research and the many needs of those suffering from this terrible disease. His family and friends have created the Robbie Fox Fund in his memory. All proceeds will be used solely for these purposes.
Kelli Peters
Boston