Update: Katie Prager has died of complications from cystic fibrosis. The 26-year-old passed away on Thursday morning, just five days after her husband, Dalton, died. She was surrounded by her mom, dad, brother and dogs.
"Dalton was waiting with open arms, as well as both her grandmother's and a host of family and friends that have gone before her," her mother, Debbie, wrote on Facebook. "I know it is selfish to be sad, I had her so many days, but she is in the arms of Jesus today and she can breathe without oxygen, she no longer has to do dialysis and He has taken away all the pain she endured."
The husband who was one half of the couple known as the real-life version of "The Fault In Our Stars" has died at 25.
Dalton Prager's wife, Katie, and his mother, Renee, announced his passing on the couple's Facebook page on Saturday.
"My angel, my best friend, the love of my life, my husband went to be with the Lord our God today. Dalton fought a long hard battle with Cystic Fibrosis," Katie wrote on Facebook. "He was a courageous fighter and ‘give up’ wasn’t in his vocabulary."
The couple were both born with cystic fibrosis — a progressive genetic disease that affects primarily the digestive system and the lungs and has no cure. Currently, the average lifespan of a person with the disease is 40 years old.
Katie, 26, was forced to enter hospice care earlier this month more than 640 km away from her husband after her lung transplant caused major ailments.
"My body is just so tired,” she said at the time, after spending the past year and a half in and out of hospital.
The couple met through Facebook, when they were both 18, after Katie sent Dalton a message.
“If you ever need a friend to talk to, you can reach out to me,” Katie wrote after reading that he was sick.
“Sorry, but do I know you?” he replied. Katie said 'no' but told Dalton that she also had cystic fibrosis.
Although doctors advised Dalton and Katie not to meet and marry (patients with the disease can pass bacteria back and forth), the couple met, fell in love and got hitched two years later, in July 2011 — echoing the story of the young cancer patients in the best-selling novel and film.
Unfortunately, since Katie ended up in hospice care, the couple were unable to see each other again in person despite a fundraiser to get Dalton a plane ticket. According to the Washington Post, the couple were able to FaceTime each other before Dalton died.
Despite knowing they didn't have much time together, Katie said she doesn't regret meeting Dalton.
"I don’t look back because I can’t really change the past. I’ve had this time with Dalton and so I might as well keep looking forward," she said.
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