HOLLAND, Michigan — In a place like Spring Sweet on 8th Street, you’ll find hundreds of dresses — even “the one.”
“They're seeing a vision of themselves come together. That little 12-year-old girl is now standing on a pedestal looking in the mirror," smiled bridal manager Ali Kent.
Inside their store, a girl’s dream wrapped up in lace and tulle.
But for Ally Fuhs, she's not even engaged.
“The first dress I tried on was the dress," she said.
But this time with her mom, could not wait.
“Her eyes were welling, but she was just smiling and looking at me. She kept telling me how beautiful I am over and over," Ally cried.
Just weeks ago, a diagnosis wiped away years of future moments for Ally and her mom.
“It was bile duct cancer. Bile duct cancer is very aggressive," said Ally. “We were told that with treatment with chemotherapy, she may be able to make it up to four years."
But it was just enough time — for one more thing.
“When it became evident that we had a very short amount of time left, she had asked my brother and I if it was anything that either of us really wanted to do with her while we could," she said, through tears.
“My mom and I have always been 'Say Yes to the Dress' fans. We talked for years about how we were going to one day for wedding dress shopping and what that would look like. So that was my one thing. And when I asked her that, she said, ‘That was the one thing I really wanted to do with you, too.’”
That one thing led them right to Ali Kent.
“She goes, 'I have to ask you a huge favor,'” said Ali.
It was a favor for the bridal manager, but for Ally and her mom, Sarah — it was a final wish.
“I wondered if I could do it, to be honest," said Ali. "I didn't know if I could keep it together for them."
Ally got the chance to pick out the perfect wedding dress without even the perfect wedding ring.
“We made sure that we created a private appointment before the store opened," said Ali. "Because of Sarah's limitations, she couldn't come upstairs here, so we would dress the bride here, she would run down the stairs and show her mom.”
“Spring Sweet did everything, they did up my hair, they did the veil, they gave us flowers. So that when I chose that dress, I could go downstairs, she could see me how I would look going down the aisle," Ally said.
“I was honored to be asked to do it. Just honored," Ali said. “My mom visited a couple weekends ago. And I was more intentional, even with, even with how I talked with her about how I'm grateful for her support and what she actually means to me."
"They gave us a moment that both of us needed. And I'm never going to forget," Ally cried. "That day was so bright. And was such a happy moment in a really dark time.”
A light that quickly faded.
“The next day, she lost speech," said Ally. “My mom passed away four days later."
Just six weeks after that first diagnosis, Ally's best friend was gone.
“My mom was an angel. An absolute angel. I don’t know what I’m going to do without her. But I am forever thankful that we were able to do this together," she cried. “Being there on the day without her is unmentionable. But knowing that she saw me in the dress, that she was a part of the experience – will make it that much easier.”
A day for one final moment, turned to finding "the one." It was the final gift Ally's mom gave her.
"She said, ‘Okay, I want to buy it for you. I want to do this for you. I want to be a part of your day,'" she said.
White dresses symbolize a new beginning. The one Ally chose that March day is instead a reminder of an end — and a love that never will.
"She's always with me," Ally smiled through tears.
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