Rivera met Daniel Mendez in October 2012 at an anti-racism club at school and the two immediately hit it off. But within a few short months, Rivera was diagnosed with the terminal disease and Mendez was a constant presence by her side.
Leslie was referred to Make-A-Wish and the foundation quickly got to work arranging the nuptials, even getting celebrity wedding planner David Tutera on board.
The ceremony took place on November 21 in Orange County, CA. Rivera was all smiles during the "Twilight"-inspired reception, surrounded by friends and family. It was impossible to tell that the beaming teenager had spent the entire day before in the hospital getting a blood transfusion.
The bride and her father danced to “Que Me Alcance La Vida," by Sin Bandera. Loosely translated, the song title means, "I ask God that life will be long enough."
One of Leslie's special requests was a photo booth. Here, she hams it up for the camera with Daniel and gets a kiss from her dad.
“I’ve been to a lot of wishes in my two years here and this was sincerely one of the most heartwarming and the most heart wrenching,” says McCormick, who was particularly touched by Leslie’s gratitude. “Leslie said to me, “Thank you for making my wish come true. No matter where I am in my days to come, I will always have this memory.”
Leslie and Daniel began dating in October 2012
The couple’s whirlwind wedding was pulled together in just two weeks, says Stephanie McCormick, president and CEO of Make A Wish for Orange County and the Inland Empire, who noted that everything at the dream wedding, from the bride's make-up to the groom's shoes, was donated in kind, totaling a whopping $300,000 in goods and services.
Source: Huffington Post, Daily Mail
Photo courtesy of Ben Aguirre Photography
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