Woman with terminal cancer dreamed of a wedding. So the community raised $20,000 to fulfill her final wish

When Esther Furches of Cheney, Kansas, was diagnosed with terminal cancer in February 2025, her wedding to Nathan Furches seemed out of reach. However, her family, friends, and even strangers came together to ensure she had the wedding she hoped for. Through a GoFundMe campaign started by her father-in-law, Mike Furches, and a wave of local generosity, the couple exchanged vows in a ceremony on March 8.

After undergoing a radical hysterectomy in November 2024, doctors found no signs of cancer. However, in December, she fell severely ill, and further tests revealed multiple tumors. She told Good Morning America, "They ended up finding a lime-sized tumor on my left side of my lower cerebellum and then another one just a little bit smaller on the right side, and then they found seven or eight on the front part of my brain. It feels like I'm pressing on a rock that's in my stomach. And then they said it's pretty much, it's spread everywhere." Wanting to give her as many meaningful experiences as possible, her family launched the fundraiser to help cover her wedding, a trip to Italy, and financial support for her two children.

The response was overwhelming, with more than $20,000 raised in donations. The wedding itself was made possible by contributions from the community. Esther said, "Everybody’s donations paid to have that wedding happen, literally everything, because people just wanted to help." With just a week to prepare, the community stepped in to make it happen, helping to arrange everything from the venue to the details, allowing 222 guests to attend the ceremony. The night before the wedding, Esther faced another emotional moment. She explained, "I was taking a shower and every time I brushed my hair, handfuls were coming out. So I was like, 'Just cut it.'"

The next day, she surprised everyone by walking down the aisle with no hair. Esther’s husband, Nathan, became emotional as he saw her walking down the aisle. He told KWCH News 12, "I was trying my best to keep it together, but I knew it wasn’t gonna happen. She looked absolutely amazing." Despite her diagnosis, Esther remains focused on her family. She said, "They did give me a time frame—less than a year—but it's going to be more than that. I'm going to live to see my children have children and walk down the aisle and all that." Esther, who has always been the one helping others, found it difficult to accept so much support at first. 

She said, "I'm always the one that helps people. I'm the one that's the rock that you can come to vent and distress, so it was hard for me to accept all of it because I don't like taking handouts." Esther, who is an accomplished chef, already plans to thank those who helped. She said, "My love language is food, and so I cook for people. And I've even told everybody that when I'm feeling better, I'm going to make a feast. I'm going to cook, and we're going to have a meal together for everything that you've done, and this is my way of saying thank you."