HAPPY anniversary!

Celebrating milestone wedding anniversaries was extra special for these readers

- LISA GLASSOCK

‘We never dreamed we’d celebrate that day together’

Mary and Alan Burgess, from Greater London, renewed their wedding vows in an emotional ceremony alongside friends and family.

Alan and I clicked from the moment we set eyes on each other on a blind date at a Christmas party. And despite my being on longterm kidney dialysis, life was great. We moved in together after a year, and within three we’d bought a house. Everything felt like it was coming together.

It was total blow when my dad passed away unexpectedly and about six months later, Mum was diagnosed with terminal cancer. As my dad had been the main carer for me while I dialyzed, I found it more and more difficult to maintain home dialysis. Thankfully, my elder sister stepped in to offer me a kidney and tests revealed it was a perfect match. The doctors predicted I would get at least five years of normal life, although children would probably be out of the question. The strain on my body might be too much.

A life-and-death situation always puts things in perspective, and all the wedding ideas and plans Alan and I had for the future flew out of the window. Why wait? All we wanted was to be together and to fill whatever time my mum had left with joy, love and wonderful memories.