'We are celebrating his life': Couple giving friends and family the chance to say goodbye
An Airdrie couple held a celebration of life after receiving a terminal cancer diagnosis.
A year after Jim Nikiforuk and Deborah Lawton were married in 2014, Jim was diagnosed with stage four prostate cancer.
The couple was told this summer that Jim only had a few months left to live.
"We really wanted to have Jim be able to have the opportunity for people to be able to come and celebrate with him before… give all their wishes to him instead of to me at the funeral, and we're not having a funeral, we are celebrating his life with him with us," said Deborah.
The couple has a history of being non-traditional, their wedding even took place in a Starbucks.
Guests at the celebaration of life were also given a cookbook filled with Jim’s recipes. According to Deborah, after 47 years of cooking dinner on Ukrainian Christmas and being asked for the recipes, they decided to make them his legacy.
"We’re very grateful that he’s been doing really well these past couple of days and grateful that we can celebrate," said Deborah. "There’s too much going on right now that’s sad and we just wanted to have good smiles and a really great way of blessing everybody who's blessed our lives."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Ontario Provincial Police arrest 64 suspects in child sexual exploitation investigation
Ontario Provincial Police say 64 suspects are facing a combined 348 charges in connection with a series of child sexual exploitation investigations that spanned the province.
AstraZeneca says it will withdraw COVID-19 vaccine globally as demand dips
AstraZeneca said on Tuesday it had initiated the worldwide withdrawal of its COVID-19 vaccine due to a 'surplus of available updated vaccines' since the pandemic.
World's record-breaking hot temperature streak stretches through April
The world just experienced its hottest April on record, extending an 11-month streak in which every month set a temperature record, the European Union's climate change monitoring service said on Wednesday.
Most of Canada to receive emergency alert test today
The federal government will test its capacity to issue emergency alerts today, with the exception of Ontario, where the test will take place on May 15.
OPINION What King Charles' schedule being too 'full' to accommodate son suggests
Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has made headlines with his recent arrival in the U.K., this time to celebrate all things Invictus. But upon the prince landing in the U.K., we have already had confirmation that King Charles III won't have time to see his youngest son during his brief visit.
Seafood, eat food: Calgary Stampede releases Midway menu
The Calgary Stampede has released its menu of sweet, salty and spicy treats available on the Midway for the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth.
Boy Scouts of America is rebranding. Here's why they've changed their name
After more than a century, Boy Scouts of America is rebranding as Scouting America, another major shakeup for an organization that once proudly resisted change.
Ontario man devastated to learn $150,000 line of credit isn't insured after wife dies
An Ontario man found out that a line of credit he thought was insured actually isn't after his wife of 50 years died.
Trial begins for Winnipeg serial killer who claims he was mentally ill
The trial of a man who admits he killed four women in Winnipeg is set to begin Wednesday, and a law professor says lawyers for Jeremy Skibicki have multiple hurdles to clear for a defence of mental illness.