'Not a dry eye' - Moment bride given six months to live 'walks' down aisle in 'fairytale' wedding

A woman who lost her leg to cancer and who was told she had six months left to live has married her husband.

Ellie Dickinson, 28, from York, was first diagnosed with a stage four osteosarcoma in August 2021 after doctors found a tumour the size of a grapefruit in her left calf. She underwent major surgery to replace her tibia and nine months of chemotherapy.

Her surgeon then decided to amputate her leg below the knee on May 7, 2024. However, just one month later, Ellie was told the cancer had spread to her spine and was paralysing her from the waist down.

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As a result, she was advised to bring her wedding date forward. Originally, she planned to get married in April 2025, but after being given less that sis months to live, she brought the date forward.

Ellie during her treatment
Ellie during her treatment -Credit:Ellie Downes© SWNS

On November 14, 2024, Ellie had the first of her two wedding ceremonies, and the other went ahead just eight days later. She described them as the "most gorgeous" days of her life, and she wanted to celebrate with her husband Max, 29, a gas engineer, along with the whole family.

A former police officer, Ellie said: "It was absolutely gorgeous - and I felt really, really beautiful, despite not being able to walk down the aisle.

"Everything came together perfectly, exactly how I wanted it to.

Ellie Downes, 28 and her fiancé, Max Dickinson
Ellie Downes, 28 and her fiancé, Max Dickinson -Credit:Ellie Downes© SWNS

"I couldn't have asked for a better wedding."

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The first ceremony, held at a York Registry Office, saw 26 people invited, and Ellie work a simple, white dress as they sat down for a three-course meal of chicken wings, roast pork and crème brûlée at the York Museum Gardens afterwards.

"Because it was November, everything was set up really Christmassy," Ellie said. "We only had 26 of our very, very close family members and friends there.

"To be honest, we arrived in a taxi and kept it very simple - I didn't feel like there was any point in spending extra money."

Then, her "fairytale" £23,000 wedding took place on November 22, with more than 100 guests in attendance. She said there "wasn't a dry eye in the house" as she 'walked' down the aisle in her wheelchair, wearing a £2,400 gown covered in sparkles and pearls.

Behind her, Ellie's six bridesmaids wore £160 sage green dresses. "I felt really beautiful - it was a fairytale gown," Ellie said. "It was all diamante - sparkle and pearly up at the top and a low bust.

A bride given less than six months to live after losing her leg to cancer made it down the aisle to marry her partner
A bride given less than six months to live after losing her leg to cancer made it down the aisle to marry her partner -Credit:Bella Bradford Photography /SWNS

"The day itself was really sunny - my dress caught the light and I felt like I was shining, I was so lucky."

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Ellie also alternated between two veils, with a shorter "wheelchair-friendly" veil to travel down the aisle in, and a longer one for photos. The bride and groom were married again at 12.30pm and photos were taken after the ceremony.

Speeches were held and the reception soon kicked off, complete with a DJ, glow sticks and undercover singing waiters. Ellie said: "It was such a gorgeous, relaxed day.

"The undercover waiters even told us we were the most interactive wedding party they'd ever done - everyone was on top form!

"Max and I had our first dance to 'I Wanna be Yours' - by Arctic Monkeys.

"We had a cannon confetti all throughout it - it looked amazing."

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