She passed away 4/1/2009.
SOUTHLAKE — From the flowers to the banquet hall, donations poured in to give a North Texas bride the wedding of her dreams.
At Paradise Cove, which is on the shore of Lake Grapevine, family and friends came to celebrate the wedding of nine-year-old Jayla Cooper. The ceremony was put together in less than one week.
"We didn't expect to do this when she was nine years old, but she has taught us all how to love each other and to be strong," said Lisa Cooper, Jayla's mother.
Jayla has battled leukemia for the past two years. It's a battle that will likely end in a few weeks.
"He is very cute and I love him," Jayla said of the groom, Jose Griggs.
Jose and Jayla met at Children's Medical Center and quickly formed a strong bond.
"He knows what's going on," said Charla Griggs, Jose's mother. "He understands that she is going to a better place."
The young boy's parents said Jayla helped their son with his own battle with illness.
"He's brighter, happier and more content with all that they go through in the hospital," said Lawrence Griggs, Jose's father. "She changed that, brought it all out [and] opened up a side of him I hadn't seen."
The symbolic wedding was a celebration of life and friendship.
"I can't explain how I feel right now," Cooper said. "I'm happy, but at the at same time I am sad because I know my child is going to go to heaven with the Lord."
Cooper said she is ready to cherish the time she has remaining with her daughter — and has a message for other parents.
"Show your kids that you love them every moment of your life because you never know," she said.
A fund has been set up in Jayla Cooper's name at the Grace Community Health Clinic, which can be reached at 817-305-4650 or visit www.gracegrapevine.org.
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