‘OUR TOWN GAVE US A DREAM WEDDING... FOR FREE!’
Hailed a brave knife attack hero, terminally ill dad Ro got his dying wish and married his sweetheart
Rohen Andrews was a hero to his family and friends long before he chased a knifewielding woman down a street as she stabbed five people, including her own daughter.
He had only been out of hospital for a day – after six weeks of radiation therapy for a cancer he knows will eventually kill him – when he charged out of his front door and confronted the woman in the NSW Hunter suburb of Salamander Bay in August.
But his incredible bravery was nothing new to his family and friends, who have seen first-hand Ro’s heroic battle against terminal throat cancer – and recently gathered to share in his unexpected wedding joy.
They smiled and cried tears of joy as they watched Ro, 41, marry his princess, Rebecca Wallis, 42, after their big-hearted community rallied around and organised a wedding for this beautiful couple.
Bec says Ro’s “incredible” sister-in-law Jodi jumped on social media to see who could pitch in and help organise the wedding of their dreams with little budget – and sadly little time, after Ro’s heartbreaking prognosis.
GENEROSITY ABOUNDS
“It was just amazing,” says Bec. “It is hard to accept things for free, but you do get to that point where you just open your arms and your hearts.’’
Bec’s wedding dress was donated, and altered, by Brides of Beecroft, and friends, neighbours and complete strangers pitched in to help give them a beautiful day.
“My wedding dress, the cars, the cake, the venues... if it wasn’t donated it was dirt cheap. All our hair and makeup was done for free. We were so lucky with the wedding that everyone was so generous and kind.
“We know that we were really, really lucky. Jodie went to amazing lengths – she just
wanted to give us something nice to look forward to, I think, in all the yuckiness.’’
Ro and Bec met when they were 11 years old, but only finally got together five years ago. They have a three-year-old daughter Harper, who is a little sister to Bec’s children, Jack, 17, and Olivia, 11, and Ro’s daughter Amaelie, 16.
They received Ro’s awful cancer news less than three months ago, and decided to fast forward their wedding plans, despite struggling financially because Ro is too sick to continue to work, and Bec needs to stay home to look after him and their gorgeous little daughter.
“You jump on this rollercoaster and don’t know where it ends up,” says Ro.
“I was being sent into all these places. But I was still thinking I could walk away from it.”
Bec says it was when doctors told Ro he needed six weeks of radiation that they both realised their precious time together would be cut short.
“They told us it was incurable, inoperable and therefore terminal,” she says, fighting back tears. “They just said to us six weeks of intense radiation and we are hoping that could give him years rather than months.
“So he has had all that, but he is still struggling, so that is why he has the feeder tube. He lost easily 15kg in that time, and that in itself makes you really unwell.’’
FIGHTING ON
But Ro wasn’t going to let anything stop him, saying his vows to Bec in front of 40 family and friends at Firescreek Winery at Holgate and from then attending the reception at the Wyong Milk Factory.
“I had to try and focus on the fight against the cancer rather than the wedding, and I regret that because they are supposed to be the good times,” he says. “But it was so special that we were able to share it all together.’’