Katie and Dalton Prager’s love story, which has been compared to the “Fault in Our Star” movie and novel, is coming to a tragic end. The couple met when they were both 18 bonding over their fight against cystic fibrosis.
The couple married when they were both 20 and then waited together for the lung transplants they got last year. Unfortunately, they can’t be together right now, since Katie, 26, is struggling because her transplant didn’t work and Dalton, 25, is currently in a hospital near his family in St. Louis. He contracted lymphoma as a result of his transplant and he is now fighting pneumonia and a virus. The heartbreaking love story of the couple has moved the media. Katie hopes Dalton can visit her soon.
“If we only get to spend a day and a night together, we’ll be happy with that,” Katie said.
A dramatic movie-like love story
“The fault in our stars” is a novel written by John Green that tells the story of two teenagers who have cancer and fall deeply in love. That is certainly similar to the story of Katie and Dalton, who met online when they were both 18. Katy, who lived in Kentucky, wrote Dalton, who lived in Missouri back then: “If you ever need a friend to talk to, you can reach out to me,” when she read online that he was really sick. And that is how the love story began.
“I told Dalton I’d rather be happy — like really, really happy — for five years of my life and die sooner than be mediocre happy and live for 20 years,” Katie said.
‘God chose this battle for me’
After they got their transplants they were planning to travel around the country and even writing a book together about their experience with cancer and their love story. But neither of them has been really independent since the transplant.
It all started to tear apart when Katie’s transplant stopped working. She said that though she has to make decisions that are not meant to be made by a person in their 20s, she believes it is not unfair, and said this is the battle that God chose for her.
“Everybody has their own battles and God chose this battle for me.” Said Katie
The doctors say there is not much to be done about Katie’s situation and things are going downhill faster that they were expected. She says her body is tired and there are so many things that can’t be fixed. She just wants to be next to Dalton, who is unable to meet her since he is at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis recovering from pneumonia.
The plan is that Dalton joins Katie in Kentucky as soon as possible. Katie is now out of the hospital, and Dalton is expected to be discharged next week.
Source: Cosmopolitan