A young father tragically died from a brain tumor just days after his perfect beach wedding.
Rikki Tako, 32, died on March 26, a week after marrying Nykala Garrett near New Plymouth, New Zealand.
Garrett had recently left her job as a nurse at Taranaki Base Hospital in December last year to care for Mr Tako.
He began experiencing seizures, memory loss, and headaches while recovering from a head injury sustained in a work accident.
However, tests showed he had an aggressive, incurable cancer known as brainstem glioblastoma, which can cause headaches, loss of balance, weakness on one side of the face and difficulty walking.
The tumor already existed, but it was believed that the work accident caused its rapid growth, and if that had not happened, the tumor probably would not have been a problem for 20 years.
Rikki Tako, 32, died on March 26, a week after marrying Nykala Garrett near New Plymouth, New Zealand (couple photographed together)
It is understood people working in the wedding industry offered their services so the couple could marry for free after Mr Tako’s diagnosis became public.
It came after the blended family of five went public with their financial difficulties, as they were both unable to work and were still forced to pay $700 in rent each week.
More than $40,000 was donated to the family through a Givealittle page, which was created to “help ease the financial burden on this young family.”
Garrett previously said he was “speechless,” especially the moment he was told his partner would only have weeks to live.
“I just didn’t expect it to blow up as well as it did. The generosity has been crazy,” he said. Stuff.
“With how hard the economy has been hit right now, it’s amazing how generous people continue to be.”
Mr. Tako (second left in photo) began experiencing seizures, memory loss and headaches while recovering from a head injury sustained in a work accident.
Ms Garrett had recently left her job as a nurse at Taranaki Base Hospital in December last year to care for Mr Tako (pictured together).
Now that money will go toward paying for Mr. Tako’s funeral, something the widow feared she would have to take out a loan to pay for.
“I would have paid for it for the rest of my life,” he previously said.
Meanwhile, Ms Garrett was summoned to a meeting with the Ministry of Social Development in March, where she was told her benefits would be adjusted to reflect that she was in a relationship.
They were also warned that the money donated could be considered an asset once they had been paid, which would mean some parts of their benefits would have been cut.
