The Husband Who Has No Face

How would you respond if your spouse had to give up his or her face to survive cancer?

True love is rare; only a few will ever encounter it. When some people decide to get married, they spend so much money on the wedding, never really pondering about the marriage.

After the thousands of dollars have been spent, then the reality of married life usually manifests itself. Wives sometimes end up gaining weight from being pregnant, and husbands at times start to develop a shiny spot in the middle of their heads.

Some couples even face bankruptcy, infidelity, resentment, and poor health. However, too many couples fail to communicate about such possibilities, for they are too busy trying to impress the guests at the wedding.

This is why couples should attend premarital counseling to better understand the requirements of a healthy marriage.

Those who are thinking about marriage should realize that a spouse could develop cancer and at times have to give up parts of his or her body.

One husband, Donnie Fritts, "had to make a terrible choice: his face or his life." Not long after Donnie Fritts and Sharon were married, doctors told Donnie he had a rare form of cancer called ameloblastic carcinoma.

This aggressive type of cancer affects "facial tissue and bones. His only hope to survive was an extreme surgery that would remove his nose, upper lip and palate, part of his forehead and part of his brain."

Donnie chose surgery and spent six years in his house because he did not want the public to see him. Nevertheless, his wife, who took her vows seriously, stood by his side. Sharon "never stopped believing that he was beautiful."

Surely their children witnessed that clear illustration of true love, which will serve them well in the future.

So if you know a couple who is getting married, be sure to remind them that marriage is more than the wedding day.