Ever since she was a little girl, Lexi Verge has dreamed of the day she would go wedding dress shopping with her mother.
At only 19 years old, Verge thought it would be years before that day finally arrived.
That all changed, however, when Verge and her family received some devastating news last August. Her mother, Wendy, was diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer.
In order to spend as much time with her mom as possible, Verge took the next year off from school at the University of Saskatchewan.
After a difficult year that saw her mother undergo 13 rounds of aggressive chemotherapy, Verge said her mother decided she couldn’t do it anymore and discontinued the treatment in April.
“We thought she would start getting stronger again but she just kept getting worse and weaker and sicker,” Verge told CTVNews.ca during a phone interview from Prince Albert, Sask. on Wednesday.
Five-and-a-half weeks ago, Verge’s mother was moved to the hospital for round-the-clock care. She said doctors weren’t sure how much time her mom has left to live and that it could be weeks or even months.
“We just enjoy each day that we’re with her,” Verge said.
Knowing that time may be running out for her to go wedding dress shopping with her mom, Verge talked to her father on Friday about buying a dress that weekend, even though she wasn’t engaged yet.
The young woman said she approached Devotion Bridal Lounge in Prince Albert, Sask. and shared her story. Verge said the shop’s owner, Tammy Davies, was more than willing to help her by letting her come in on Saturday to pick out some gowns to show her mother at the store the next day.
Verge said she picked out seven of her favourite dresses at the store that Saturday. She said her mother would only be able to travel away from the hospital for a short period because of her health, which is why she narrowed down her dress selection in advance.
Verge had even reached out to a local photographer, Mason Neufeld, to have her capture the moment.
On the eve of the special day, Verge’s mother’s condition worsened and she was deemed too sick to leave the hospital.
Disheartened, Verge called Davies and Neufeld to break the news that they would have to cancel their appointment at the store on Sunday.
By sheer coincidence, Verge said the bridal shop owner and photographer already happened to know each other. The pair devised a plan to make Verge’s dream come true and bring the shopping experience to her mother.
That Sunday, Verge was able to model her favourite seven wedding gowns in her mother’s hospital room, thanks to the kindness of strangers. She had a beautiful full-length mirror, veils, flowers donated from a local shop called Fairmaven Floral, and a professional photographer capturing the moment as she showed her mother each dress.
“It was really, really emotional. It was difficult,” Verge recalled. “She was crying and I was crying.”
Verge and her mom decided on the first dress she came out in and said she would be ordering it soon for safekeeping, until the day she walks down the aisle.
And although her mother may not be there when that day comes, Verge said she’s grateful she had the chance to share that special experience with her.
