Husband gifts dying wife priceless memory as she asks for one last thrilling motorbike ride

Dave's life turned upside down when his wife, 33, was diagnosed with leukemia — a cancer that affects the blood and bone marrow. Despite the health issues, his dying wife wanted to use the time she had left to "create memories," and Dave was more than happy to do whatever made her happy. Shortly before she passed away, he had taken her on a motorbike ride, which unknowingly turned into a beautiful memory he would now cherish forever. Originally, Dave had shared the story in September 2022, but later deleted his account. In July 2025, someone else (u/kaos2018) again posted the bittersweet story on Reddit.

"The last time we went out when she was well was when we took the motorbike for a ride to the nearby coast," Dave wrote. On their way, they stopped at a place to buy some snacks and later went to the cliff tops. Dave and his wife sat beside each other, looking at the sea, when they noticed orcas moving along the coast, near the shore. "This isn't unusual, as it is their route from Antarctica north, but there was more than one pod," Dave shared. The couple saw nearly 50-60 whales spread over miles, and as Dave explained, "It was an awesome sight." On their way back home, Dave drove a little faster but immediately apologized, expecting his wife to lecture him as usual. But instead of scolding him for speeding up, she replied, "I have got cancer, Dave; f****** thrills me."

"Permission granted; I gave her the ride of a lifetime," he wrote. In 1969, Elisabeth Kübler-Ross explained how terminally ill patients go through five stages of death, popularly called "DABDA." Starting with denial, a person goes through phases of anger, bargaining, depression, and finally acceptance. Dave's wife had also accepted her fate, and perhaps that's why she wanted to live every moment to the fullest. She knew she was about to die, so nothing like a speeding motorbike could scare her anymore. 

Meanwhile, reacting to the post, u/observed-observer commented, "Those last memories can be bittersweet. My mom died of cancer in my early 20s. She fought for years, but it eventually got her. But she lived anyway, and in those last years, she started ticking off her bucket list. One of my best memories of her is getting drunk on wine at dinner in southern France and hearing her laugh and laugh as we walked around this little old town with a coliseum. She burned bright to the end." 

Another user who goes by u/hawk-432 on the platform confessed, "I don’t usually get them, but this gave me goosebumps, the positive kind. I could just really feel it — that sight, the context, and just that from your wife. So poignant. I think I’m going to book something thrilling for my wife." On the other hand, u/equivalent_chard_220 shared, "So sorry for his loss, but I’m glad she got to experience such a great last couple of days. Life is made up of these small memories that we end up cherishing down the road. It made me shed a tear." u/just_a_tonberry wrote, "That's how you do it. We can't stay forever, and neither can those we love. If we have to lose them, we should send them off right."