Tristan Laue
Tristan Laue grew up in Waverly, Iowa. After graduating from high school in 2016, he enlisted in the United States Army National Guard. It was there that he received some devastating news. He found out that he had fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma (FLC), which is a rare form of liver cancer. This type of cancer often occurs in teens and younger adults.
No Symptoms
At first, Tristan had no symptoms. This is common for this type of cancer. At first, he had some mild stomach pain, he lost his appetite, and he lost some weight. When he started suffering from these symptoms, his doctor ordered CT and MRI scans. This is how his condition was diagnosed. Unfortunately, this is a very aggressive type of cancer.
Meeting Tianna
When Tristan was discharged from the National Guard in April 2018 to receive treatment, he met Tianna. He was just finishing up his immunotherapy, and the two started dating. The two fell in love quickly, and Tristan began to suffer from complications from his cancer. Regardless of his health complications, the couple got closer. They bonded through their shared love of dogs. Tianna had a German Shepherd named Max, and Tristin fell in love with him as quickly as he fell for Tianna.
Goal-Oriented
Tristan knew that his career in the National Guard was over, but he didn’t want to give up on his life altogether. He enrolled at the University of Northern Iowa, where he was working toward a degree in engineering design. He was a very goal-oriented person, and he wanted to excel in his studies. While in school, he also got a job with Ronan Industries. There, he made a name for himself as being a problem solver.
No Further Treatment
In March 2019, Tristan got the devastating news that his doctors had exhausted all treatment methods possible. He knew what this meant, as did Tianna. He knew then that he had to make Tianna his wife. He didn’t want to leave this world without being able to call her his wife.
Questioning
Tristin wanted to marry Tianna, but he wanted to be sure that it was something that she wanted to. Her feelings were very important to him, and he wanted to make sure that asking her wouldn’t make her feel pressured to do something that she didn’t want to just because he was sick. Tianna made sure that Tristin knew that she wanted to marry him as much as he wanted to marry her.
Easter 2019
By Easter 2019, the two had become so close that Tristin was ready to propose. Tianna accepted, and the two were excited about their wedding day. Tristin’s family decided to help as much as possible due to his declining health. Everyone knew Tristin didn’t have much time left, so they had to plan the wedding quickly. It took just two days for his family to plan the perfect wedding.
Married In the Backyard
Due to his illness, Tristin and Tianna got married in his backyard. Shortly before the ceremony, he received a certificate from the university for his final semester. It was a great way to kick off the perfect day. He was very sick and very weak, so Tristin married the love of his life in his bed. The wedding took place on a snowy day, and it was held in a tent. The bridesmaids stood by closely, with tears in their eyes during the ceremony. An honor guard made up of Tristin’s male friends stood close by.
Hours Later
Just a five hours after the couple said, “I do,” Tristin passed away. Tianna says that it was almost like he needed to be her husband before he was willing to let go. With his university certificate in hand and his new bride by his side, he passed away. Tianna and Tristin’s family were devastated, but they took comfort in the fact that he died
Make The Most Of the Time You Have
This 20-year-old died of a rare disease just five hours after marrying the love of his life. Tianna says that her time with Tristin taught her to make the most of the time that you have on this Earth. She says that Tristin is her hero. He didn’t let his cancer diagnoses stop him from having a full life. Even though he knew that he was dying, he still chose to get his degree and marry the love of his life. Tianna says that most people wouldn’t have the strength, determination, and the courage to do so much in such a short time. She says that even though their relationship was short-lived, she will love her husband until the day she dies.
