Jim and Cindy Mininni truly had a love story for the ages.
From the moment they met each other, they were inseparable, and neither could stand being apart for even a moment.
So, in their final moments together on this planet, it makes sense that they should spend their time holding each other just as they did when they were both healthy.
Unfortunately, eight years ago, their vows of love were put to the test.
Jim was diagnosed with lung cancer, but through countless rounds of painful chemotherapy, Cindy was constantly there to support her sick husband, and their son, Chris, always had a strong and loving woman to look up to as he grew up.
Though Jim fought with all of his might, the cancer never went into full remission.
Eventually, doctors gave him a 10% chance of surviving, and though the family kept up their hope, things just never got better. Jim was finally taken to a new hospital to spend his final days in as much comfort as possible.
But as if the heartbreak was too much for her, Cindy herself suffered from a heart attack during this whole ordeal and was placed in another hospital for treatment.
As Jim's life began to slowly ebb away, Chris was busy driving from one hospital to the other while paying his parent's rent.
But in the final hours of his father's life, something incredible happened…
Jim and Cindy Mininni's story begins 24 years ago when they fell madly in love with each other.
They dated for a while, but when Cindy found out she was pregnant, she was a bit nervous about telling her then boyfriend.
But when she finally did, his reaction was certainly a lot better than she could have expected!
He burst into tears of happiness, and from that moment on they were an incredibly happy family.
When little Chris was born, Jim had finally gotten what he wanted most in life: to be a father and a husband.
But his love and pride for his family only got stronger as the years went by and he saw his son grow up to become a man.
But life can become rocky in the blink of an eye.
Unfortunately, Jim was diagnosed with lung cancer. He fought bravely and underwent rounds and rounds of chemo treatments, but the cancer never went into full remission.
Eventually, it became clear that Jim wasn't going to live much longer.
But Chris and his beautiful mother were always there to support him in his fight.
Even when facing the threat of death, Chris could always count on his mother to be strong and inspire him to be a better person himself.
Through his father's cancer, the two bonded and became even closer than they ever imagined possible.
Just when it seemed like things couldn't get any worse, they did.
As Jim was taken to a hospital to spend his final days, Cindy suffered a heart attack and was taken to another hospital in a different city.
Jim wasn't going to last much longer, and it seemed like the woman who he was never apart from in life wouldn't be there to say goodbye one final time.
As Jim's health quickly began to decline, it became apparent to his doctor's and Chris, that he was in his final moments.
Unable to speak because of the tube in his mouth, and a new-found tumor blocking his breathing, Jim scrawled something on a piece of paper that instantly got the attention of the entire staff:
"Mom."
Though they had tried to get Cindy transferred to Jim's hospital, it had been denied.
But the staff used every bit of tenacity they had to reunite this couple to be in each other's company, where they best belonged.
But time was running short, and everyone knew that this moment could be lost forever…
Unconscious, due to the treatments for her own battle, they finally managed to get Cindy transferred.
And as Jim slowly faded away he got to hold the hand of the woman who had always been by his side.
Unaware of where she was, Jim got to say goodbye to his sleeping beauty, the mother of his children, and the love of his life.
He held her in his arms as his own body began to shut down.
When Cindy later awoke, she was heartbroken at the news of her husband's death.
But thankfully, Chris had thought to snap some pictures of this moment to share with her.
The pictures have been a great source of comfort for her as she continues her own recovery.
And while they might be separated by the chasm of life and death for the current moment, we can all take solace in the fact that one day, these two will be once again reunited, never to leave each other's sides again.
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