It has been a longtime childhood dream of Lexi Verge that she and her mother, Wendy Verge, would one day go wedding dress shopping together.
The 19-year-old was certain that this special day wouldn't come for many years, but devastating news about her mother's health caused the teen to rethink the time frame of her dreams. One year ago, Wendy was diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer.
Not wanting to miss the time with her mother, the teen took a year off from university to be by her side. After 13 excruciating rounds of aggressive chemotherapy, the young woman's mother decided that she couldn't fight any longer.
She discontinued treatment and her health continued to deteriorate. Doctors confessed that they weren't certain how much time Lexi had left with her mother - it might be weeks, or, if they were lucky, months.
Even though she wasn't engaged, Lexi knew that this could be the last chance she and her mother would have to go wedding dress shopping together so she hatched a plan...
Turn the page to see how a stranger helped to make their dream come true...
After speaking with her father about the idea to take her mother to a bridal shop, Lexi set the plan in motion.
She called up wedding photographer Mason Neufeld and pre-picked seven beautiful gowns at Devotion Bridal Lounge. Everything was arranged, all she had to do was bring her mother to the shop.
Unfortunately, the night before their big outing, Wendy's health deteriorated and Lexi was forced to cancel the whole thing.
As luck would have it, Newfeld was friends with the bridal shop owner, Tammy Davies. Together they decided to bring a little wedding magic to the mother and daughter.
Rather than cancelling the appointment, they transformed Wendy's sterile hospital room into a bridal salon, complete with flowers and, of course, the wedding dresses.
"It was really emotional when I walked in," Lexi told Today. "I felt really connected to my mom. The look on her face, I'll never forget. There was a lot of sadness in her eyes, but also happy tears because we were sharing that moment."
It didn't take long for them to decide which dress was a winner. It would be the first dress she walked in wearing: a stunning white silk trumpet gown with a beaded belt.
"Once she was calm enough to talk, she said, "˜It's beautiful,'" Lexi said.
Since that day, Wendy's health has declined further. But, having the memory of that special moment brings some peace to her daughter:
"When I wear that dress on my wedding day, even if she's not physically there, it's going to feel comforting to know we picked that exact dress out together, and I'll feel close to her," said Lexi.
"I do feel a sense of relief "” and a sense of peace."
[h/t Today / Facebook - Lexi Verge / CTV News / Mason Neufeld Photography]