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Teen with cancer marries sweetheart at hospital — with 78K people watching

Swift Myers isn't sure how long he has left to live, but knows he wants to spend it married to the love of his life, Abbi Myers.
/ Source: TODAY

Swift Myers isn't sure how long he has left to live, but knows he wants to spend it married to the love of his life.

The 18-year-old has been battling Ewing's sarcoma, a type of bone cancer, off and on for seven years. And every time it comes back, he jokes about proposing to his girlfriend of two years, Abbi Myers, also 18. But when the cancer returned about a month ago, he started to get serious about the idea of marriage.

Swift and Abbi Myers exchange vows from Swift's hospital bed.
Swift and Abbi Myers exchanged vows from Swift's hospital bed.Kirk McCracken / Sand Springs Leader

"When he proposed, I totally thought he was joking, but I realized he wasn't when he told me to get my dad on the phone to ask his permission," Abbi Myers told TODAY. "My dad responded, saying, 'There would be no greater privilege than to have him as a son-in-law.'"

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The teen lovebirds didn't have any time to waste, so nurses at Children's Hospital at Saint Francis in Tulsa, Oklahoma, who witnessed the proposal Saturday, jumped into action to start planning a wedding for the very next day.

Nurse Mandy Beam contacted her friend, a local wedding planner, who donated tons of decorations, while other nurses took care of the cake and the hiring of a photographer and pastor.

RELATED: Dying man marries fiancee in hospital, gets glimpse of unborn granddaughter

18 year olds marry in children's hospital
Swift and Abbi Myers with the pastor who performed the ceremonyCourtesy of Kirk McCracken/Sand Springs Leader

Kendra Roulet, Swift's history teacher at Charles Page High School, covered the cost of their rings and presented them to the couple as their first wedding present.

"They are two incredible kids, so you do everything you can to make their dreams come true," Roulet told TODAY.

18 year olds marry in children's hospital
Kendra Roulet posed with her student Swift Myers on his wedding day.Courtesy of Kendra Roulet

After many students showed an interest in attending the ceremony, Roulet decided to document it on Facebook Live, where it's been viewed more than 78,000 times.

"There were 100 people who showed up to witness what I thought was the most romantic thing I've ever seen," Roulet said, pointing out that guests spilled into the hallways. "I even spotted some outside peeking through the window."

18 year olds marry in children's hospital
Swift and Abbi Myers with bridesmaids and groomsmenCourtesy of Kirk McCracken/Sand Springs Leader

The venue was fitting for the newlyweds, who first met there — down the hall in a different hospital room — even though they go to the same high school. Over the summer before their sophomore year, they attended the 16th birthday party of a mutual friend, Madison McIntosh, who has leukemia.

RELATED: Man with terminal cancer gets married from hospital bed

"We were best friends for a little while after the birthday party and knew we liked each other, but it wasn't until he kissed me out of nowhere while Black Friday shopping in December 2014 that we became official," Myers said.

Swift and Abbi Myers exchange vows from Swift's hospital bed.
"When he proposed, I totally thought he was joking, but I realized he wasn't when he told me to get my dad on the phone to ask his permission," said Abbi Myers.Kirk McCracken / Sand Springs Leader

While she will attend the University of Tulsa's nursing school in the fall, Swift Myers plans to enroll at a local community college to study radiology.

"Last week, we thought it was pretty close to the end, but the wedding filled him with such a sense of peace and joy that he's moving around and talking," Roulet said. "So we still have hope."