No Ordinary Wedding Planner: Fighting against the odds to help others make their dreams come true

No Ordinary Wedding Planner: Fighting against the odds to help others make their dreams come true
Naomi Thomas

This is the inspiring story of Naomi Thomas, a secondary breast cancer sufferer who has decided to devote the remainder of her life to spreading joy, helping others to find happiness by fulfilling the wedding dreams of those who are terminally ill.Naomi was 26 when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Her boyfriend Graham had proposed just two days earlier. After seven months of treatment Naomi was declared cancer free, only to receive the devastating news a few short months later that the disease had returned and was no longer curable. Her son, Devon, was just six days old. Thoughts of their wedding were the one thing that kept Naomi and Graham going, but the financial burden of terminal illness had made the reality of their special day seem impossible. However, in this time of darkness, the couple discovered the amazing generosity and selflessness of local companies as they rallied around and helped to organise and fund a dream wedding. Their kindness was overwhelming.Determined not to die in vain, Naomi began fund-raising, ultimately setting up her own charity with the mission of spreading the joy she had experienced on her big day. The Wedding Wishing Well Foundation was formed, and Naomi now organises and funds weddings for those affected by terminal and life-limiting illnesses, helping them to enjoy married life before it’s too late.Inspiring, heart warming and incredibly moving, this story will show you the true meaning of love.‘Everyone has the right to marry the love of their life, but you don’t realise just how important it is until you are told you are dying.’www.harpertrue.com

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Contents

Cover (#ua29f9bc5-0a68-5874-8271-53b55f7b9d99)

Title Page (#ulink_540161b9-e7e2-5f30-a6ce-3c6923a940f4)

Chapter One (#ulink_6933123f-79c8-527d-b2bf-738ddccb5cc7)

Chapter Two (#ulink_1cbcc838-989f-5184-a8a6-c13de4ca65b3)

Chapter Three (#ulink_e472e95e-5baf-5611-a6c8-a09def736a26)

Chapter Four (#ulink_27547c27-66c7-5b56-8902-237d1a3065fb)

Chapter Five (#ulink_13f8a35f-d2ba-5ac3-ba9f-b6c40fc3afc2)

Chapter Six (#ulink_6a4a1153-0289-552e-979a-428e5cb16028)

Chapter Seven (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Eight (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Nine (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Ten (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Eleven (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Twelve (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Thirteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Fourteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Fifteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Sixteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Seventeen (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Eighteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Nineteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Dedications and Thank Yous (#litres_trial_promo)

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About the Publisher (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter One (#u04b912ca-7d44-5344-8756-10f12404c859)

New Year’s Eve 2009 was fast approaching. I was 26, and I worked and partied – hard! My first marriage had come to an end, and although my husband and I had separated amicably, I had been with him since the age of 16 and it had been a shock to the system to be on my own. You could say I was making up for lost time! Workwise, I loved my job. I was employed by Exeter City Council to run holiday play schemes for children from deprived areas of the city; it was one of the most rewarding jobs I had ever had, and I loved the kids and my colleagues. I was also working part time running my own business as a wedding planner, as well as assisting local venues as their in-house planner. Holding down two jobs was tiring, but I loved every moment – I felt as if life couldn’t have been any better, and I wanted to celebrate.

I discovered that my favourite DJ was playing at my local haunt and immediately made plans to see in the New Year with my friends and beloved music. The evening was an absolute blast! As with every New Year, I decided it was about time I changed a few things – I wanted to leave the past behind me, and to be happy in my own company. I had become a real gym junkie in 2008 and was hoping to continue the hard work by completing some charity fun runs and training for the London Marathon. I had lost over a stone and was starting to feel much more confident about myself. As 2010 began, I finally felt in control of my life. Little did I know that it wouldn’t last long!

My New Year’s resolutions started off well, although they began to dwindle as January came to an end. I was still feeling a little dented from the end of my marriage and discovered that a very old friend of mine seemed to be going through something similar. Graham and I had known each other since we were about 14 or 15, when he worked in the local pub that I used to frequent, back when I looked much older than I was. He had a real presence when he arrived at the bar on a Saturday night; everyone would be shaking his hand and patting him on the back when he walked in, fashionably late! Although I can’t say I fancied him then there was certainly something about him, and when we became friends on Facebook I noticed that he had definitely improved with age! As Graham had a girlfriend, I had never thought any more of it, but now that his Facebook status suggested it was over I decided to take the plunge and message him.

Graham responded almost immediately, confirming that they had indeed broken up that week. This was my chance! Three days of flirty text messages and phone calls followed, and we agreed to meet up at 2pm on Monday 26 January – a date I remember so well. I was nervous and spent ages figuring out what to wear. Graham had suggested that we could go for a walk, so my outfit needed to be sexy, yet comfortable and practical. Eventually I chose a pair of skinny jeans and boots with a comfy jumper, and drove to Graham’s house. Luckily I found it easily, and was immediately impressed by the beautiful cottage that I saw before me; quirky and well kept, with bags of Somerset character.

I walked up the short path and closed the gate behind me. The front door opened sharply; Graham had been waiting on the other side, having watched me getting out of my car through his window – talk about keen! The cottage was as beautiful inside as out, impeccably clean and with a wood burner to warm us.

We decided to go for a walk in the woods nearby and jumped into Graham’s gorgeous BMW Convertible to whisk us there. As we walked our hands kept brushing against each other, but neither of us knew what to do about it! I knew right away that I really liked him. It was so easy to chat to him and we talked freely, discussing the people we knew, what we’d been up to since school, and our memories from the time when we’d known each other. He made me laugh and was a proper gentleman; not the sort of guy that I’d normally have gone for! The afternoon was lovely and we went back to his for a hot chocolate and a sit-down with a film. Graham put his arm around me and we snuggled on the sofa to watch it; it was the perfect end to a brilliant first date.

Over the next few days the West Country was hit by some of the worst snow that any of us had seen for some time, making travelling almost impossible. The thought of being snowed in alone filled me with dread. I rang Graham to see what the snow was like near him. When he replied that it was pretty awful there too, I informed him that I was dropping everything and heading over!

The roads were the worst I’d ever seen, and just as I was making my way round the last corner before Graham’s house, the car skidded and I came to a stop right in the middle of a junction. Dressed in my wellies and thick winter coat I walked the last hundred yards or so to Graham’s house. He and his neighbour hurried off to rescue my car with a shovel, and once it was safely parked outside the house Graham and I made our way inside for what turned out to be five days of being snowed in together. We had the most amazing time, larking about in the fresh white snow, watching films together, and getting to know each other.

I already knew that this was the man I wanted to spend the rest of my life with.

Chapter Two (#u04b912ca-7d44-5344-8756-10f12404c859)

Over the next few weeks Graham and I saw each other at every opportunity. It all felt too good to be true – I was falling for him in a big way, and quickly. At that time I was due to go on holiday with my family to celebrate my dad’s 60th birthday but the thought of spending time away from Graham was almost too much to bear.

One morning I was taking a bath when I found a strange lump in my right breast. It was the size of a pea, and definitely not something I had felt before. I had undergone breast reduction surgery three years previously and was at first quite certain that it was related – perhaps a stitch that had not dissolved properly, or a lump of scar tissue. On closer inspection, though, I realised that the lump was in an area that hadn’t been stitched. In that moment, and without any idea why, I was very concerned.

I made a mental note to call the doctor as soon as the surgery opened on Monday morning. The lump played on my mind all day though so, when I got home that evening, I texted Graham in the hopes of offloading some of my worry. His auntie had died of breast cancer and he had previously been involved with a girl who had sadly died from ovarian cancer, so he quite rightly insisted that I get everything checked out just to be safe.

As soon as I could, I made myself a doctor’s appointment and headed to the surgery with trepidation. My GP was a lovely man, and, although he was endlessly reassuring, he took the lump seriously, advising me to monitor it for a week in case it was connected to my monthly cycle or other hormonal changes. If it was still there the following week I was to return without delay and I’d be referred for further tests.

Later that week I was due to fly to Goa for my dad’s birthday trip. While I knew I was going to miss Graham terribly, I knew it would be good to have a distraction from my worry. I hadn’t told anyone else about the lump – it seemed unnecessary to worry them in the run up to our holiday.

The first day of our holiday arrived. The thought of leaving Graham was gut-wrenching – we had been together just seven weeks, but our feet hadn’t yet had time to touch the ground. We were falling head over heels in love with each other at breakneck speed.

With my dad’s celebrations and thoughts of Graham whizzing through my mind I reluctantly boarded the plane. During the holiday Graham and I kept in constant contact with each other, but it was hard not having him there with me – especially as he was the only one who knew about my lump. I eventually confided in my mum and her friend, and they did their best to reassure me despite their concern. Mum’s best friend’s son was battling cancer at the time and, aged just 40, the prognosis didn’t look good at all for him. It was so hard to see someone we cared about facing such a terrible illness.

That week couldn’t go quickly enough, and I was beside myself with excitement as we headed home. I couldn’t wait to touch down in Gatwick, and rang Graham as soon as we landed. We promised that we would never spend a moment away from each other again – it was all very dramatic, but felt so right. Bright and early the next day, I headed for Graham’s – he had just moved and I couldn’t wait to be his first houseguest. Seeing him again was fantastic and I realised there and then that I never wanted to be away from this man again. He looked more gorgeous than ever and we couldn’t stop holding each other.