Port Adelaide star Jeremy Finlayson and longtime associate Kellie Gardner have shared the heartwarming information of their marriage on Sunday.
In a joint Instagram submit, the newlyweds shared a picture with their new rings simply moments after the ceremony, with the easy caption: “THE FINLAYSONS”.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Port Adelaide star’s associate, Kellie Gardner, opens up about her battle with terminal most cancers.
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The newlyweds had initially deliberate to tie the knot in October, however introduced the marriage ahead.
Mom-of-one Kellie is battling a terminal most cancers analysis, regardless of having already crushed it as soon as.
She was as match and wholesome as some other 25-year-old.
She ran marathons, had simply given delivery to their daughter Sophia, and had her entire life forward of her.
Jeremy had simply been traded from the GWS Giants to Port Adelaide to be in Gardner’s house state when her life was rocked by the devastating information that she had bowel most cancers.
Scans had revealed a tumor the scale of a tennis ball in her colon.
“We moved into our residence on the seventh, and I received recognized on the 17th of November,” Gardner informed 7NEWS Adelaide’s Mark Soderstrom on his podcast, The Soda Room, final month.
“By way of coping after getting this analysis, we had been simply in denial, to be sincere. You hear ‘most cancers’ and also you connect it to a 60-year-old — you do not connect it to a 25-year-old.
“I used to be fairly wholesome, ran marathons, simply had a child so clearly did not have many issues. I used to be a match, younger mum. You simply do not connect (most cancers) to that.”
The younger household’s life grew to become an instantaneous whirlwind thereafter.
“We solely had 24 hours between analysis and the surgeon’s workplace, who went by way of every thing and made plans for each different scan and process we needed to do earlier than we had an actual analysis,” Gardner recalled.
“We simply needed to lean on household. I used to be an indignant girl.”
Refusing to be overcome by it, Gardner beat the most cancers when it shrunk and was finally eliminated.
“We went to Hawaii to rejoice as a result of we have made it by way of such a fairly shitty yr,” Gardner mentioned.
“My surgeon was nice, he was all optimistic. He’ll let you know that it isn’t all 100 per cent chance of it not coming again, however he was very optimistic with every thing going ahead, so, I used to be, in my head (pondering), ‘I am good’. And if not, I am in good fingers.”
However in January this yr, Gardner, Finlayson and little Sophia — who was a ‘hub child’, having been born in one of many AFL’s many COVID hubs in the course of the pandemic — obtained heartbreaking information as soon as extra.
This time it was worse; the most cancers had unfold to her lungs, and now it is terminal.
“My most cancers that was in my colon had metastasized and unfold to my lungs,” Gardner mentioned.
“I used to be indignant, that was in all probability the primary emotion. The opposite was scared; not for myself, however for Sophia and Jez.
It is a harsh perspective for injured Energy ahead Finlayson, who underwent ankle surgical procedure throughout Port Adelaide’s preseason.
“I might take Kel’s stuff over this — I might take it off her (if I might),” Finlayson mentioned on The Soda Room.
The pair not speak concerning the future; for now, Kellie is aware of that each second together with her 17-month-old daughter is treasured. She recalled treasuring particular moments throughout a few of her darkest instances whereas in hospital.
“She would sit subsequent to my mattress together with her little dollies pretending that she was mum and it was so candy,” Gardner mentioned.
“I am so pleased that everybody can empathize and might try to see it by way of what I may be going by way of, however nobody will ever know, and I’ll by no means be capable to clarify it both.”
Via her social media presence and advocacy, urging folks to get checked and nag their family members to do the identical, she is aware of she’s already made a distinction and presumably saved lives.
“It makes me so pleased that (others) have caught one thing at an early stage or caught one thing that wasn’t an excessive amount of of a giant deal,” she mentioned.
As she continues to obtain remedy, Kellie hopes she will hit a few of the main milestones in her life — together with seeing little Sophia develop up.
“The docs are doing every thing they presumably can to make sure that I am nonetheless right here for my marriage ceremony in October and, much more importantly, I see my daughter at her personal marriage ceremony in 20 years time,” she informed 7NEWS.com.au final month.
“I am not fully certain what the end result can be.
“However I suppose the hope is to shrink or not less than keep the most cancers that’s already current… That is only a teeny actuality of getting a terminal sickness.”
