After ringing the bell to finish chemo, woman surprised with marriage proposal
Angelica May had no idea she would finish chemo and get engaged on the same day.
Angelica May had a lot to celebrate on March 20.
The Wilmington, North Carolina, resident celebrated the completion of her chemotherapy treatment, ringing the golden bell at Novant Health Zimmer Cancer Institute.
Her family and friends lined the hallways to celebrate her enormous milestone, but they knew there was one more surprise in store for the 27-year-old -- a marriage proposal from her boyfriend Imeek Watkins, which was captured in a video shared with Storyful.
"I knew all our family will be there, close friends and her family, so I just felt like that would be a perfect time to do it," Watkins, 25, told "Good Morning America."
May said that although there was a red carpet rolled out for the occasion, she didn't see the proposal coming.
"I was very surprised. I didn't expect him to do it on the day that I rang the bell," May told "GMA." "I was expecting him to propose later this year. He definitely caught me off guard."
The longtime couple has been together 10 years, and May said they have endured a "long journey" since she was diagnosed with stage 2 triple negative breast cancer, with May unable to work and Watkins pausing his career and taking on two jobs to support May through the challenging period.
"[Watkins] plays professional football. He [put his] dreams on hold for me to help me get through this. So, I really am thankful for him," May said. "He's been by my side ever since we found out the news."
When Watkins proposed on March 20 after May completed her final chemotherapy treatment, he said he was impressed with her strength.
"For you to be this young just going through something like this, it's just amazing how you just push through it and finished this whole process," he said.
Now, the couple are looking forward to their future together and said they're grateful for each other.
"I'm taking it day by day but definitely it's wedding planning time," May said. "I'm super excited about that. I just want to get through my surgery and finish up my last rounds with immunotherapy and start this wedding planning."
May and Watkins said they hope their story can offer hope and encouragement to others going through a difficult time.
"Keep fighting, just keep going through it," Watkins said. "It's always someone out there going through your same similar situation … support is always around."
"I want people to know that there's always a light at the end of the tunnel. We may not see it during the time or think it's gonna happen, but there's always a light at the end of the tunnel," May said. "Keep fighting. Never give up. Always have hope, and always have courage."
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