Couple marries after losing both their partners to cancer and then they welcome 'unexpected miracle'

People fall in love for different reasons and this couple fell in love because they knew what it meant to lose a partner to cancer. Jason and Kirsten Clawson met after Jason lost his first wife, Valerie, to colon cancer at 38 and Kirsten's first husband, Cody, died of Acute Myeloid Leukemia when he was 43 years old. They both suffered from cancer for about the same amount of time and couldn't find any more treatment options, per PEOPLE.

Valerie and Cody both had genes that made them resistant to chemotherapy. However, the Clawsons first met on a Facebook group for young widows in their area and later got to know each other using a dating app. Kirsten shared, "When I saw his profile, I knew exactly who he was, so I felt very comfortable moving forward with communicating with him." She said that it was "absolute magic" the first time they spoke.

The couple shared their story in a TikTok video posted on Kirsten's account (@kirstenclawson) in 2022. They were seen sitting together on their porch and kissing each other. The text overlay read, "We met and fell in love." They then went on to show pictures of their spouses and the text read, "After losing our first spouses to cancer. We keep their memory alive every day." Then Jason's two sons and dogs walked in and the overlaying text read, "Now we are blending his two sons and her two dogs." It ended with all of them sharing that they were waiting for a miracle, which was the couple's first child together.

The two got married in 2022 and Kirsten became stepmom to Jason's sons, Boston and Cooper and in December 2022, they welcomed their daughter, Maisie. Though the two are building a life together, they are not leaving their past behind. They give space to each other to mourn and remember each other's former spouses. Kirsten told the outlet, "We recognize the loss. We don't ignore it or pretend it didn't happen. We don't get jealous of each other's grief or love for their late spouse." "We ask each other what they need, especially around difficult anniversaries, and then we provide it."

They keep the pictures of Valerie and Cody hanging in their house and also share their stories with each other. Moreover, they visit their graves as a family, celebrate their birthdays, and remember their death anniversaries. Kirsten revealed that she had recently had a tough time while returning from Houston, where Cody died and Jason sat with her. She added that Jason, being a therapist, helps as he gives her really good advice on processing grief. 

Kirsten also allows her husband the time to grieve his first wife. "Once, while visiting Valerie's grave, I asked Jason if he wanted a private moment with her, and he did," Kirsten said. "Many people think that because Jason is a therapist, grief was easier for him, which is absolutely not the case. He struggled like anyone else." The couple also started a new social media page, "Light After Grief," on TikTok and Instagram where they share thoughts, interview clips and lessons they have learned through their journeys. Kirsten said, "We're very open about our experiences because we really want to give others hope in the darkest time of their lives."

For Jason and Kirsten, their daughter Masie has been a source of joy as she came to them during hard times. Moreover, they call her "the glue" because of how she has glued both their worlds together. In another TikTok video that Kirsten posted, Valerie's mother was holding Masie on her lap. "My husband's late wife's mom playing with our baby because another grandma to love her doesn't have to be blood and family isn't always linear," Kirsten wrote in an overlaying text. 

You can follow Kirsten Clawson (@kirstenclawson) on TikTok for more content on her family life.