Husband lends support from afar to wife undergoing chemo

Dennis Cockrell won't let a deadly virus stop him from safely showing his love.

The current pandemic is wreaking havoc in so many areas of day-to-day life. Although hospitals are in the news for having to cope with the influx of patients with COVID-19, behind closed doors some patients are still able to go in for treatments for other conditions. This is the case for Diana Cockrell, who is currently undergoing rounds of chemotherapy for breast cancer.

The mom of thee first discovered she had cancer in 2019 and has since undergone three rounds of chemotherapy. But when she recently had to go in for her fourth round, her husband Dennis was unable to accompany her and give her some much-needed support due to new visiting restrictions put into place since the pandemic.

Married for 23 years, Dennis knew how important his presence was for his wife, so along with his three children, he came up with a plan to let her know he was by her side.

He brought along a chair to the Bon Secours St. Francis Cancer Treatment Center in Greenville, South Carolina, where his wife is receiving treatment, and sat on the grass with a large message he and his kids (Kate, Carly and Collier) had written out for his wife to read from her room: “IM HERE & I [HEART] U.”

Sitting comfortably, Dennis sent his wife a text to tell her to look out the window: “All the sudden I didn’t feel so alone in the hospital room by myself. It was such a pleasant surprise; he’s been the most wonderful supporter and he’s made it all very bearable,” Diana explained to Good Morning America.

Diana also shared on her Facebook page: “I just know that Dennis is a gift from God, a rare and valuable one. He sees me at my very worst (especially lately), yet he shows me an invincible love.” So in return, with the help of her nursing team, Diana put up a simple “I HEART U” on her window for Dennis to see.

Dennis shared how he felt that the simple gesture gave a “feeling of being with someone that can’t be replaced.”

We love how he’s intent on fulfilling his marriage vows, to love his spouse “in sickness and in health,” and he won’t let a deadly virus get in the way!