They planned their wedding day together, but with only 24 hours until the special day, Jacqueline Shepard’s life crumbled when her partner suddenly passed away
Jacqueline Shepard, 46, and David Gorgeous, 45, knew their time together was limited, but they were determined to take the next step in their relationship and tie the knot. The marriage licence came through—everything looked perfect for the following day, when the ceremony was supposed to take place at the hospital.
Their nightmare began in March 2024 when David, a dad of one, discovered a mass in his gallbladder. He underwent two operations to remove his gallbladder, part of his liver and some lymph nodes. The surgeries were initially successful, and David was even able to return to work as a fragrance brand ambassador.
“He had the first op in April 2024 and the second in May. He started chemo in September, and he was feeling better, much brighter and feeling good,” Jacqueline said.
Sadly, things soon took a turn for the worse. David began feeling the same abdominal discomfort and hoped it was only a fluid buildup. But a CT scan confirmed their worst fears: the cancer had spread to his peritoneum – the lining of the abdomen and pelvis.
He started a round of chemotherapy, but the disease was too advanced and aggressive. It began severely affecting his liver, and doctors had no choice but to stop the treatment.
“We were given that awful, horrendous news. We absorbed all of that info and decided we wanted a second opinion,” she said.
“We were waiting to hear back from a couple of specialist hospitals, but unfortunately, his health deteriorated, and he needed to go back into the hospital.”
The pair decided to launch a fundraiser around this time to help ease the burden and set up something for their daughter.
That’s when the couple realised their time together was running out, and they decided to marry on April 3.
They began planning their wedding with the support of family, friends and even the hospital staff. Jacqueline picked out a beautiful floral dress, and they were ready to exchange rings. The marriage licence came through just the day before. Everything seemed to be falling into place.
But in a heartbreaking twist, David passed away on the hospital ward the night before the wedding, leaving Jacqueline and their daughter, Elodie-Grace, devastated.
“Before we went to the hospital, he had asked for my dad’s permission to marry me, and we thought we had more time, so we got engaged,” said Jacqueline, a radio presenter from Letchworth.
“I got the marriage license the day that he died, and we planned to get married the next day at the hospital, it breaks my heart,” added Jacqueline
For the couple, the thought of getting married eased the pain they were going through. “That final week of his life, knowing we were getting married, gave us something to look forward to,” she reflects. “I think it brought him a sense of peace and helped him to relax.”
Since the loss of her fiancé, the pressure has been overwhelming, with the funeral coming up, having to make arrangements while not having any time to process the death. “I’m quite anxious about what happens after the funeral,” Jacqueline said.
But during his final days, the fundraiser brought him hope. “He loved being able to read all the lovely comments from people,” she added.
“They talked about how generous he had been and how he’d been such a positive influence on their lives.”
You can support Jacqueline and her daughter during this heart-wrenching time here.