Jade Tabrar, 37, and Adam Kemp, 42, were married at a small ceremony at their home on November 3, in a deeply emotional and intimate celebration of their love. Just hours later, Jade passed away in Adam’s arms.Jade, a mother of five, had been fighting stomach cancer, which was diagnosed in August 2023 after she experienced significant weight loss, difficulty eating during her pregnancy, and severe stomach pains. After learning she had just three months left to live, Jade and Adam, who had been together since their teens, decided to marry.
The couple with one of their children (Picture: Adam Kemp/SWNS)
Adam, from Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, recalls the poignant moment when Jade, just hours after becoming his wife, looked him in the eye and spoke her final words: “She looked me in the eye and said she was so glad she got to be Mrs Kemp and have our family. Then her head slumped, and I knew her soul had left. She had gone.”Adam stayed by her side, their heads touching. “I said: ‘I love you, baby. It’s okay, you can go now, no more pain.’ We stayed like that for a while, just us,” he said.“It was the most amazing day, such a perfect day. I got to finally marry the most beautiful woman in the world. I love you forever and always, Jade Louise Kemp.”The couple, who had been inseparable for 19 years, had five children together. Jade’s health problems had started during her final pregnancy, but doctors had attributed her symptoms to the strain of carrying a child. It wasn’t until after the birth of their healthy 7lb baby boy in February 2023 that her symptoms worsened, prompting further tests.Doctors diagnosed Stage 2 stomach cancer, but the aggressive disease quickly escalated to Stage 4. Adam explained, “It floored her. It made her so ill and so sick, but she was so brave and just kept going, fighting the cancer all the way. And all the time being an amazing partner and an amazing mother.”The couple had always known they wanted to marry, but they had joked about waiting until their 20th anniversary to have their dream wedding. But when Jade’s condition worsened, they realized they didn’t have the luxury of time.In May 2025, Jade was stable enough to stop treatment, and the couple hoped for a reprieve. However, by September, scans revealed that the cancer had spread to her womb and ovaries, and Jade was given only three months to live.Adam said, “She was so strong. She started a bucket list and all she wanted to do was make sure the children had the best Christmas. But deep down she knew she wasn’t even going to make Christmas.”With little time left, Jade told Adam that this was their final chance to make their wedding dreams a reality. Initially, they had planned their wedding for November 21, 2026, their 20th anniversary. But given the circumstances, they decided to marry immediately.
Jade Tabra married Adam Kemp, her partner of 19 years, hours before she passed away (Picture: Adam Kemp/SWNS)
Friends and a hospice team rallied to help make the wedding possible. They arranged the paperwork, a registrar, a cake, and a buffet. Jade, who had been adopted as a baby and had no family of her own, dreamed of having Adam’s father walk her down the aisle in a cherished bridesmaid dress she had worn at his wedding years before.Because of Jade’s significant weight loss, friends quickly altered the dress to fit her. At 2pm on November 3, a registrar officiated the wedding at the couple’s home, in front of a small gathering of supportive friends and family.Adam describes the ceremony: “The end was coming so quickly. We knew we didn’t have long. The registrar came to our house because Jade was so poorly. She was wheeled up the hallway, then I wheeled her into the room. I knelt down beside her during the ceremony so we could be on the same level.”“We said ‘I do,’ and she reached up, brushed my tears away and said ‘Don’t cry, I love you.’ Everyone there was in floods of tears and said they have never seen a wedding filled with so much love.”After the ceremony, guests enjoyed the buffet while Adam helped Jade rest on the sofa. They shared precious moments together before he helped her into her pyjamas as the evening wound down.Later that night, Adam knew time was running out. He said: “Then her breathing changed. I called Willen Hospice, and they came out, checked her, and said it wouldn’t be long. I knew then that I would lose my soulmate on the day I married her.”At 10:45pm, Jade passed away in Adam’s arms.Now, Adam, who has quit his job to care for their children, is left to grieve the love of his life. Despite the heartbreak, he finds comfort in the fact that they had their special day together.To support Adam and their children, friends have raised the target of Jade’s original fundraising page to £4,000. Initially created to fulfill Jade’s bucket list, the page now helps cover funeral costs and assist the family during the difficult time.
