Taylor Odlozil recently shared the heartbreaking experience of knowing his wife, Haley, had terminal cancer before she did. In an emotional conversation on the Unplanned podcast with hosts Matt and Abby Howard, he recounted the painful discovery that altered their lives shortly after their wedding in 2015.
Haley was diagnosed with Stage IIIC ovarian cancer just weeks before their marriage. Taylor described how they initially felt hopeful about her treatment. “It wasn’t until three days later that we found out that the chemo did not work at all,” he explained. During that meeting with her doctor, Taylor sensed something was amiss. “I could tell the doctor, when she was telling us how the chemo worked, it seemed like she wanted to say more but wasn’t ready to say more.”
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Recognizing the weight of the news, Taylor requested that everyone else step out of the room. Alone with the doctor, he learned the devastating truth: Haley’s illness was terminal, and the prognosis was grim. “At that time, they believed she had six months to live,” Taylor said, his voice cracking with emotion. “So there we are, three days after I just married Haley, and I’m finding out that she’s got just six months. Like, really? I remember I just lost it. The doctor was just comforting me.”
The impact of this revelation left Taylor grappling with overwhelming emotions. He questioned why this was happening to them and felt an intense wave of despair. When the doctor suggested that Taylor enjoy their honeymoon before breaking the news to Haley, he faced an agonizing decision. “I had to gather myself, go out into the waiting room, and look at Haley in the face knowing that she’s dying,” he recalled.
After they returned home, Taylor told Haley he needed to visit his parents. Understanding but needing space to process her own feelings, Haley agreed. Once he arrived at his parents’ home, Taylor’s emotions erupted. “I was banging on the front door, and my dad opens it. I literally collapsed in his arms, in the doorway, screaming, sobbing,” he said. “My dad started crying, which we don’t see our dads crying very often. We were just laying in the doorway sobbing. I just realized, she’s dying. This really is going to happen.”
Taylor’s mother also remembers that day vividly. “I’ve never been that upset in my life. I was able to cry it out, talk with my parents, gather myself, go home, pack for Hawaii, go on that trip, and try to make the best out of it,” he said.
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Keeping the diagnosis a secret from Haley weighed heavily on him. During their honeymoon, she made a striking comment that further compounded his guilt. “We were laying in the hammock, watching the sun go down, and she looked at me and said, ‘I just feel like this is our last trip.’ I looked away for a second and looked back and said, ‘Why?’ She said, ‘I think you just know when you’re dying,’” he recalled.
Faced with Haley’s intuition, Taylor felt he had to “lie to her face” to maintain some semblance of normalcy. Fortunately, Haley defied expectations and enjoyed more than six months of life, allowing the couple to create cherished memories with their son, Weston, before her passing in July 2023.
Just weeks before her death, Haley spoke with People about the perspective she gained from her experiences. “Do not take your life for granted. Always have perspective. Everything in life is about perspective,” she emphasized. Haley encouraged others to find beauty in everyday moments. “Instead of being mad it’s raining, roll down your windows, smell the freshly rained-on grass. There’s something good in every day. Always be thankful for where there are good things. Don’t focus on the bad things.”
Haley’s message resonates powerfully as Taylor reflects on their journey. While the pain of losing his wife is profound, he carries forward her lessons of gratitude and perspective, aiming to honor her memory in the days to come. The couple’s story is a poignant reminder of the fragility of life and the importance of cherishing each moment, no matter how difficult.
