In March of 2011, two young cancer patients at the Roswell Park Cancer Institute (Buffalo, New York) met each other for the first time. Though neither one was courageous enough to admit it at the time, both look back and describe the interaction as “love at first sight.”
Lucas Lowe (12) and Stella Usiak (13) would’ve liked to spend time together sooner, unfortunately for these two tween lovebirds, they have pretty busy schedules. After all, these two brave kids are currently battling acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Between the shyness of adolescence and the constant chemotherapy treatment, there just wasn’t much opportunity for the tweens to interact.
(Source: Jennifer Usiak)
Stella and Lucas being their silly selves in the hospital.
Stella finally stepped up to the plate and surprised Lucas by asking him to be her valentine. Since then, the two “text each other nonstop,” Lucas’ mother told TODAY.
In fact, that’s how Lucas asked Stella to be his girlfriend. One nurse recalls the moment she accepted his proposal to be his girlfriend. She happened to be walking by his hospital room when she heard him excitedly shout, “Stella said yes!”
Lucas and Stella continue to text day in and day out. “I can always tell who he’s talking to because of his smile,” Lucas’ mom added. The two would prefer to spend more time with each other, however, their respective battles make it difficult to spend quality time.
The most they get to see each other comes every Monday during their chemotherapy treatment. Their therapy requires that they take laps around the hospital post-treatment. The hospital staff claims the two lovebirds now take this mandated walk hand in hand.
The young couple expresses their affection in other ways, says the hospital staff. They now share kisses by wearing surgical masks in order to eliminate the spread of germs. It’s not the most practical way to kiss, but the couple has cherished every single kiss.
Read more about this brave young couple’s amazing love story by clicking next!
Stella and Lucas can attribute their commonalities to the fact that their struggles are so similar. The two face the same battle together, and can relate to each other’s struggles in a very unique way.
(Source: Jennifer Usiak)
Lucas reading a card Stella composed and sent him.
“Lucas understands what I’m going through and cares a lot about me,” Stella said in an interview with TODAY. “He also makes me laugh, which helps when I’m not feeling well.”
Once, back in September of 2014, Stella suffered from a relapse. Lucas was overcome with sadness. He constantly asked himself why it couldn’t have been him instead.
“Lucas is more concerned with how she’s feeling and what he can do to make her smile,” Lucas’ mother claims.
Lucas, in order to cheer her up, made a video for Stella. In it, he holds up the lyrics to Rachel Platten’s song “Stand By You” while it plays in the background.
(Source: Jennifer Usiak)
Lucas comforts Stella on one of her hard days.
“She makes my heart smile, so I wanted to do the same for her,” Lucas told TODAY of the kind act for his girlfriend.
Stella was more than grateful: “I couldn’t believe someone did that for me. It made me feel like a princess. There have been some good things to come from getting cancer, and he’s definitely one of them.”
Read more about this brave young couple’s amazing love story by clicking next!
Recently, the Roswell Park Cancer Center hosted their annual prom, which the young couple attended for the first time. As with any prom, the two dressed in their finest attire, and looked as sharp and elegant as possible.
(Source: Jennifer Usiak)
Stella and Lucas at the Roswell Park prom.
Stella was apprehensive about attending the event at first. However, Lucas knew just how to encourage his girlfriend to join him.
“I’m like, no, what’s the point of me going to prom if you’re not going to go?” Lucas said in an interview with NBC affiliate WGRZ. “It’s about you and me.”
Stella opted to attend, and the young couple enjoyed their first ever slow dance together!
This young couple’s relationship is far from common, but that hasn’t stopped them from enduring the ups and downs of their battle with cancer together. Their unique bond and relationship is a true testament to the healing power of love.
This story was first reported by TODAY.
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