During her cancer-free bell ringing ceremony, Angelica May received a heartwarming surprise.
At the Novant Health Zimmer Cancer Institute in Wilmington, North Carolina, on March 20, surrounded by loved ones, the 27-year-old celebrated the completion of her chemotherapy treatment for stage 2 triple negative breast cancer, according to ABC News.
Unbeknownst to her, there was an additional surprise waiting during the festivities.
In front of her friends and family, her 25-year-old boyfriend, Imeek Watkins, proposed, creating an adorable moment captured in a video shared on Storyful.
According to PEOPLE Watkins handed May 10 red roses to mark the 10 years they’d been together, as he pointed out in the video.
He then played a sweet video message from their young niece, who said,
“My uncle would like to know, ‘Will you marry him?’ “
Watkins then got down on one knee while their loved ones and medical staff clapped and congratulated them.
“I knew all our family would be there, close friends and her family, so I just felt like that would be a perfect time to do it,” Watkins told Good Morning America, per ABC News.
“I was very surprised. I didn’t expect him to do it on the day that I rang the bell. I was expecting him to propose later this year. He definitely caught me off guard,” May said.
“[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 told GMA about her fiancé’s support amid her treatment. “He’s been by my side ever since we found out the news.”
“For you to be this young just going through something like this, it’s just amazing how you just pushed through it and finished this whole process,” Watkins told his wife-to-be.
“I’m taking it day by day but definitely it’s wedding planning time,” May said of her recovery. “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.”
Moving forward, May hopes her story can help others.
“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,” she said.
She added, “Keep fighting. Never give up. Always have hope, and always have courage.”
Now we are crying!
"I think honestly, that proposal and me ringing the bell, that helped me with not being sick," Angelica May said.https://t.co/wcSiEAZ6Mx
— Saleen Martin (@SaleenMartin) March 29, 2024
Congratulations Angelica!!!!!
