Terminally ill El Paso teen dies nearly two days after her dying wish was granted

Lydia Dominguez, the terminally ill El Paso teenager granted her wish of getting married to her boyfriend, died Wednesday morning, a University Medical Center official confirmed.

Dominguez, battling stage four renal cancer prior to her death, was able to marry Joshua Ordoñez during an emotional ceremony Monday afternoon. She died at 7:21 am Wednesday.

“This morning (Lydia) woke up and said she was hot and she needed to do her hair. So mom put up her hair in a bun. She got a bit weak afterwards and laid down she turned to look at her husband and smiled,” a UMC spokeswoman said, “She sat up and gave him the biggest hug. She then laid back down and all her family told her it was okay – she could let go. And in two breaths, she was gone.”

Dominguez was surrounded by her parents, her husband and her family.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE:

After discovering their time together is running out, a young El Paso couple has tied the knot.

The impromptu proposal led to a remarkable wedding.

There was the familiar song, flower girls and anxious family members.

But this was not your average wedding. It was Lydia Dominguez’s dying wish. The ceremony took place on the tenth floor of El Paso Children’s Hospital.

The 19-year-old is terminally ill with stage IV renal cancer.

Lydia’s boyfriend Joshua Ordoñez popped the question just a few hours earlier.

“She broke out in tears and then said yes. So I guess yes, that is the hesitation. But other than that, she said yes, right away,” Ordoñez said.

The two met online and quickly became a couple.

“We got together and we were happy. And then we found out she was getting sick again. We just didn’t focus too much on that. We focused on how we could make each other happy in the days that we had together,” Ordonez said.

They have been spending a lot of time together.

“We’ve been going back and forth with each other to each other’s houses,” Dominguez said.
Once Lydia said yes, family members and hospital staffed jumped into action. They had a wedding to plan and fast.

The wedding cake was topped with roses, the room decorated and her beautiful wedding dress was worn with red hospital socks.

Lydia’s mother, Marisa Sanchez, had a moment to reflect on what she has tried to give her daughter.

“The best life I could. And I’m not done,” Sanchez said.

“She brought everything to the plate, all of her emotions. She opened up like no one else could. She had me open up like I normally don’t do,” Ordoñez said.

After a whirlwind engagement, the young bride and groom were ready to be wed.

“It’s my honor to commit you as husband and wife before the world. You may now kiss,” said the officiant.

When asked why the wedding was her dying wish, Lydia gave a simple answer that needed no followup question.

“Because I love him.”

A GoFundMe account has been made to help raise money for Lydia’s family. The link for the account is: https://www.gofundme.com/xac9cc-lydias-memorial-fund