Twenty-one-year-old cancer patient Rodney Conradi, who made headlines in February when he married his girlfriend just two days after his Valentine's Day proposal, has died.
Conradi passed away on Saturday at Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital in Yakima, Wash. He battled a rare form of cancer, Ewing's sarcoma, for 18 months.
Conradi first met his bride, 22-year-old Lynsie Rainford, in Seattle, while they were both undergoing cancer treatment. Rainford was suffering from leukemia and is currently recovering. The pair lost touch briefly but reconnected when Conradi contacted Rainford on Facebook, telling her that his cancer was back.
The couple tied the knot on Feb. 16 in the basement of Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital. Conradi's sister, Emily Conradi, was the maid of honor and his brother, Anthony Conradi, was the best man.
Kirk Conradi, Rodney's father, told local newspaper The Yakima Herald that his son said his wedding day was "the best day of his life."
Conradi's father called Rainford a blessing: "She's so amazing, she was so good for him," he told The Yakima Herald. "He did a big thing getting married in the hospital. Cancer couldn’t stop a wedding. You can print that -- cancer couldn't stop a wedding."
In February, Conradi said that love was all that mattered to him. "What matters is love and showing the person you love how much you love them. That's what people will remember." He added, "We realize never to end a conversation on a bad note or ruin any day over an argument. Because you don't know how many days are left, and do you want to waste them being angry at the love of your life? Love is the only thing that matters, really."
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated Rodney Conradi's brother's name as Kirk. His name is Anthony.