A truly heartbreaking story.
A terminally ill man was able to hold on long enough to witness the birth of his twin boys before passing away a month later.
Justin and Jennifer Hanks had been married just two months before Justin got the devastating news that he had testicular cancer.
Jennifer told
People Magazine: "We were devastated. We would have our bad days and cry and then pick up our heads and keep moving forward the next."
She said that while they couldn't enjoy newly married life, they tried to make the most out of the time they had left.
"He was depressed for a while. Cancer has taken so much from us, our newlywed life, our marriage. [But] we didn’t want cancer to hold us back anymore, if he was cured of cancer five years from now and we never decided to have a family and it was too late we’d have regrets."
They tried for a baby via IVF and in September 2017 Jennifer found out she was pregnant.
Justin "was so happy to be a dad. He was going to work and school and he would do chemo," with Jennifer adding that he would treat her by making breakfast.
However, disaster struck when Justin was told that his condition was getting worse and he might not be around long enough to be there for the birth of his twins.
"It was really hard. We wanted him to live… it was really hard to imagine me being a single mom," she said.
Justin pulled through though, and was there to witness the birth of his two sons Everett and Marshal.
"It was amazing. I felt like I was witnessing a miracle. I knew how badly he wanted to be here, so for him to get a chance to see and have that moment with his boys was everything.
"Now I can say he had that moment. I think that is gonna help me move forward."
Justin passed away one month later, in July of last year, however Jennifer says that she will always cherish the memory of him being their at their boys' birth.
