Kellie Finlayson reveals how her husband’s Footy teammates made her wedding dream when it was almost ruined by her cancer fight

Kellie Finlayson has revealed how her husband’s port Adelaide Teammates quietly stepped in to cover the costs of her dream $ 10,000 wedding ring, while confronted with mounting medical accounts of life savings cancer treatment.

The act of generosity, led by experienced midfielder Travis Boak, made her dream wedding possible when the finances of the pair were thinly stretched by chemotherapy and hospital enclosures.

Kellie and husband Jeremy Finlayson had planned to get married in October 2023. But everything changed when Kellie’s oncologist gave her the devastating news – her colon cancer had returned and spread to her lungs. It was terminal.

Doctors warned she could lose her hair in the coming weeks, encourage the couple to help the ceremony move forward.

With just over three weeks to organize it, their wedding took place at Tennyson Beach in South AustraliaSurrounded by good friends and family.

Kellie never thought her dream ring would be part of the day.

Travis Boak and teammates helped with buying Kellie’s Ring, making financial stress facilitated during her continuous treatment of cancer

Boak, depicted with Finlayson during a Port Adelaide match, collected their teammates when the wedding was brought forward

The couple was engaged to get married, but had to hurry the procedure after Kellie received the life -changing news that she had cancer

“When we knew we had to act quickly, I didn’t even think about things like the ring,” she said.

“It was just not something that we could afford.”

Then Jeremy’s teammates boarded. They bundled together to buy the exact ring that Kellie had once hoped for.

“It meant the world to me,” she said. “They not only showed up for Jeremy, they also showed up for me.”

The day was full of emotion. Sophia, their 19 -month -old daughter, ran through the aisle with a bouquet of Madeliefjes.

Kellie followed arm in arm with her father and bridesmaid.

“There was no dry eyes in the room,” she said.

Jeremy looked at overwhelmed. “Looking at Kell who walks through the aisle with her father was just breathtaking,” he said. “One of the most valuable moments of my life.”

Kellie Finlayson is depicted with her bridesmaids at the beach ceremony

The couple was married in a small, intimate ceremony for only 21 friends and relatives

Kellie continues to fight the deadly disease and is a mentor, source of inspiration and ambassador for everyone else fighting cancer

He promised a calm promise to their daughter: “I made Sophia a vow to take care of her, while her mummy is not possible, and I will continue to do this for the rest of my life.”

Kellie was first diagnosed with stage-four colon cancer in 2021 at only 25.

At that time she was three months after the birth and was mistaken for her symptoms for normal recovery.

Only when she noticed blood in her stool did she seek medical help.

Scans discovered a large intestinal block. Surgery and chemotherapy followed.

For a moment there was hope that the cancer was gone.

But by Christmas 2022, the disease was metastasized to her lungs.

The diagnosis of crushed plans for more children. Chemotherapy left her infertile.

Kellie and Jeremy tried to grow their families through surrogacy. Seven attempts failed.

She describes the grief, the pain and the resilience in her memoirs There must be more.

In it she describes the physical side effects of treatment, including frightening anaphylactic reactions.

She talks about the emotional toll of missing moments with Sophia and spending anniversaries in the hospital.

Kellie is now an ambassador for the Jodi Lee Foundation and urges Australians to take intestinal symptoms seriously.