US: 10-year-old marries boyfriend days before dying of cancer

10-year-old Emma Edwards from United States, who always dreamed of getting married, tied the knot with her childhood sweetheart, just days before she died of cancer. She and her beau, Daniel Marshall Christopher “DJ” Williams, Jr, got married at a big celebration on June 29, just 12 days before Emma succumbed to leukemia, according to a report by New York Post.

Emma was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) last year in April. Acute lymphocytic leukemia is a type of cancer of the blood and bone marrow — the spongy tissue inside bones where blood cells are made, according to the Mayo Clinic. It is the most common type of cancer in children.

The parents of young Emma, Alina and Aaron Edwards, were hopeful she would be able to beat the cancer, however, in June, they received the news her cancer was incurable, and that she had only a few days to live, as per the report.

It was then that both Alina and DJ's mothers sprang into action, organising a mock wedding for Emma. The entire wedding was arranged in less than two days and saw some 100 guests in attendance, as per Alina.

“It was so precious, and it came together so well. Her dad gets to say he gave her away. A friend of ours officiated, a friend read a verse from the Bible, and her best friend was maid of honor,” said Alina, as quoted by the New York Post.

The mother of the bride also had a few kind words for her new son-in-law. She said, “DJ is the sweetest soul you’ll ever meet. He has a heart of gold and he really loves Emma.”

Emma's mother also revealed that Emma had appeared to be a healthy child until last year. It was when she fell over that her parents took her to the hospital, and doctors discovered the cancer in her leg bones.

“She was never sick before,” Alina said. “All of a sudden, she started throwing up. We found it by accident. She had fallen, so they checked her legs, and they found the cancer was eating holes in her bones and making her weak.”