In a world often clouded by hardship, there are moments when the light of human kindness shines so brightly, it illuminates even the darkest of times. For 26-year-old Bethany Wright from Glasgow, that light came in the form of a stranger—someone who saw her pain and chose to help not out of obligation, but from the sheer goodness of his heart.
Bethany, a community nurse and devoted mother, was 34 weeks pregnant with her son Alfie when she received news no one should ever have to hear. What she thought might be pre-eclampsia turned out to be a grade 3 astrocytoma—a fast-growing and aggressive brain tumor. “When they told me it was grade 3, I just didn’t know how to process it,” she shared. “I was devastated. I had just had a newborn son. I was trying to work out the future.”

After giving birth, Bethany underwent a grueling operation in August 2024 to remove 85 percent of the tumor. Surgeons had to cut from ear to ear, leaving her with 74 staples in her head. She followed the surgery with 33 sessions of radiotherapy and began chemotherapy, only to have to stop due to overwhelming side effects—being sick up to 40 times a day. “I had between three and ten years to live, but I imagine this will be shorter now that I’ve had to stop the chemotherapy,” she said. “It makes me very upset to think that I won’t be here with Alfie as long as I’d like.”
Bethany describes feeling “robbed” of her motherhood, forced to make memory boxes for a future she fears she won’t be a part of. And yet, amid this heartache, her dearest wish was not for more time or miracles—but simply to marry the love of her life, Cameron Murphy, before it was too late.
Enter Shane Yerrell, a 41-year-old support worker from Waltham Abbey, Essex. A seasoned fundraiser who has climbed Kilimanjaro and walked the Great Wall of China to help others, Shane stumbled across Bethany’s story on Facebook. Her words moved him deeply. “Bethany’s story really grabbed my attention: she’s so young!” he said. “Fundraising is my passion. I just can’t bear to see someone struggling.”

He asked Bethany what she wanted most. Her answer was simple: 'to marry the love of her life: Cameron' before she was too sick. Shane sprang into action, creating a JustGiving page and using his own social media presence to spread the word. By March 2025, he had raised nearly $3,750.
Thanks to Shane’s kindness, Bethany and Cameron will now tie the knot on Valentine’s Day at the beautiful Sherbrooke Castle Hotel in Glasgow. Their joy is palpable. “We’re just so excited,” Bethany said. “We’re so incredibly grateful for the money Shane has raised: we’ve been able to book our wedding because of it which means everything to us.”

But it’s not just about the money. “Shane is such a kind person, it just shines out of him,” Bethany added. “Money aside, I feel like I’ve got a friend for life in him. We’ll be eternally grateful for what he has done. The world needs more people like him.”
Their wedding is estimated to cost $25,000 in total, and the couple and their families are saving up to cover the remaining amount. For Bethany, the celebration is more than a dream come true—it’s a lifeline. “We’re so looking forward to it,” she said. “I just need a big celebration like this. It’s something positive to focus on to keep me going.”
In an age where many scroll past stories like Bethany’s, one man chose to act—and in doing so, he reminded all of us that even in the face of heartbreaking odds, love and compassion can still change lives.
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Richard Abeyta
1 month ago