Bride-to-be gets cancer diagnosis two months before wedding

Planning a wedding is a busy time for anyone, but imagine getting devastating news just a month before saying "I do." For one Omaha couple the news was a cancer diagnosis.

Surrounded by pictures documenting their life together, Tarah Jeppesen and Justin Huberty talked about the joy in their lives. Much of that revolves around finding each other and the birth of their daughter, Delaney.

"She's a little fireball," said Tarah.

After having Delaney about two and a half years ago, the couple got engaged. Since then, it's been a countdown to October 10th, 2015. Their wedding day.

But for Tarah, her special day will be different than how she always imagined it.

"They have to take out my voice-box. So it will be a whole new way of living," she said. Doctors diagnosed her with adenoid cystic carcinoma.

In August they discovered the tumor in her throat blocked 95% of her airway. To get it out, doctors took out something we often take for granted: a voice-box.

"All of it's scary. There's a chance she could lose her voice. Just cancer in general is a scary word," Justin said.

The doctors told her there was a 50/50 chance the box would need removed. In the end, they did have to take it out. Now she will have to re-learn how to speak. Doctors are confident she should gain back at least some ability to speak. Doctors said there is no way she will have the same sounding voice as before.

There was also the possibility she would have to use an electrical toolto place against her throat to form words. It's not clear what kind of speech therapy will be needed just yet.

Before all of this, for the entire month of July, doctor after doctor told Tarah she was suffering from asthma. She said she knew that wasn't right, when the inhaler and her medications weren't helping at all. Finally a specialist found the tumor.

Although life without a normal voice isn't easy to imagine, she said it's better than no life at all. Doctors are confident she will beat her cancer after going through radiation treatment. Her cancer was caught at stage 3, but the specific type has an 80% survival rate.

Tarah said it is a scary feeling knowing that her interview with WOWT, our sister station, was one of the last times her voice would sound like herself. The night before her surgery she went to Build-a-Bear to record her voice and put it in a stuffed bear for her daughter. That way she would always have her mom's voice that she is familiar with.

"We're in love, we're getting married, we're not going to let this get in front of us, or slow us down," said Justin.

If you'd like to help the family with medical costs, they are accepting donations at all Core Bank branches in Omaha. Tarah also works at Sports Clips near 78th and Dodge. Her coworkers are accepting walk-in donations there as well.