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Brain tumor
“We were in our early twenties and had just started living together when Stef had his first epileptic seizure. It turned out he had a brain tumor; Our carefree life was over in one fell swoop. Stef underwent two brain surgeries, which he narrowly survived.
Even though it changed his character, I still really wanted to continue with him. We got married between chemotherapy, radiation and check-ups. I even got pregnant and we couldn’t believe our luck. But when Suze was two years old, they discovered a new, more aggressive tumor in his head.”
happiness and loss
“Soon after, Stef ended up in bed. Even though we got a lot of help, I could hardly relax. I slept with one eye open, always on. Luckily we kept talking. Stef understood that I longed for a normal life; I had advocated for him for years. He wanted nothing more than for Suze and I to be happy again.
I didn’t expect that I would find love so quickly. I really enjoy the carefree nature of my relationship with Martijn. Suze is crazy about him too, she even calls him daddy. It took some getting used to for Stef’s parents, but they gave us a fresh start. I think it’s nice that happiness and loss can coexist for us.”
#Mara #widow #young #age #married #chemotherapy #treatments