Man With Brain Tumor Passes Away Thirty Hours After Marrying Love Of His Life

Feb 13, 2020 by apost team

Finding the person you want to spend the rest of your life with can often seem impossible, with many people never finding that special someone. Thankfully, a rugby player facing a terminal illness got the chance to marry the love of his life right before he succumbed to his disease.

At 22 years old, Navar Herbert led a life that would be the envy of even the most successful person. Playing rugby professionally with the Nerang Bulls, Navar was in love with the woman of his dreams, Maia Falwasser. Together, Navar and Maia had a baby son, Kyrie, and were looking forward to the rest of their lives together.

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All of Navar and Maia’s amazing plans were shattered when Navar was diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer known as a sarcoma. Despite the grim diagnosis, Navar and Maia were determined to get married. Then in June 2019, doctors determined that Navar’s cancer had spread and there was nothing more they could do to help him. With just hours to live, Navar married Maia in a beautiful but heart-rending ceremony on June 25, 2019.

Too weak to even stand, Navar was helped into his tuxedo by his friends and groomsmen, who then brought him to the ceremony in a wheelchair. Maia then came down the aisle holding her mother’s hand, tears streaming down her face as she joined Navar under a canopy. Taking his soon-to-be wife’s hand into his own, Navar told Maia that he loved her.

Bending down, Maia took Navar into her arms and kissed him. In a recording of the event, those in attendance couldn’t help but weep at the touching moment. Despite the tragedy, there were still plenty of smiles at the wedding, many of them coming from Kyrie’s beaming face as he stood in his little white tuxedo. Friends of Navar and Maia also performed a haka, a traditional Maori dance, in honor of the occasion as the bride wiped away tears.

A little over thirty hours later, Navar succumbed to his terrible illness. Navar was laid to rest on July 2, which was also his son’s first birthday.

In a Facebook message, Maia thanked everyone for their support, but also pleaded for help in returning Navar’s body to his native New Zealand. Setting up a GoFundMe page, Maia and Navar’s story attracted the attention of millions as complete strangers donated over $100,000 within short time.

"Today my heart is heavy and sad, I lost my best friend, Husband and the Father to our Son. I feel absolutely showered in LOVE by friends and family, this is a hard time, however i do find my strength and refuge in everybody's support. " she wrote on the GoFundMe page.

Within two days, enough funds had been raised to send Navar's body to his homeland, where he was laid to eternal rest in the Te Kotahitanga Marae Maori Cemetery.

Our condolences to the Herbert family. We are happy they at least go to have a ceremony to celebrate their love for each other and that Navar's dying wish could be fulfilled. Make sure you pass this heartbreaking story along to your friends and family.