Terminally Ill Belgian Woman Marries Partner 18 Years After Proposal
A terminally ill woman from Heule, West Flanders, has fulfilled a long-awaited dream by marrying her partner 18 years after he first proposed. Melanie Lecoutere (44) and Nico Inderadjaja (45) tied the knot on Friday at the Gulden Spoor domain in Kortrijk, surrounded by their three children, family, and friends — just days after Melanie was hospitalized in her years-long battle against metastatic breast cancer.
A Love Story Decades in the Making
Melanie and Nico met as students in Leuven nearly 23 years ago. For five years, they were close friends before their relationship turned romantic. According to Het Laatste Nieuws, the couple built a deep friendship first, afraid to risk it by revealing their feelings. “We both felt something for each other, but never at the same time. Out of fear. We were afraid to put that friendship at risk,” Melanie said.
Nico first proposed on March 15, 2008, on a ski slope in Achenkirch, Austria. But the wedding was repeatedly postponed — first to pursue their dream of having children, then because life with twins Felix and Nina (now 15) and daughter Lilo (9) grew busy, and finally because of Melanie’s devastating cancer diagnosis.
A Nine-Year Battle
In December 2017, shortly after stopping breastfeeding Lilo, Melanie discovered a hard lump. The diagnosis was breast cancer with metastases to the bone and liver. What followed was nearly nine years of grueling treatment: chemotherapy, a mastectomy, radiation, a partial liver resection, and 4.5 years of immunotherapy that kept the disease under control.
In September 2023, scans revealed new metastases on the peritoneum. Treatments accelerated. Melanie is now on her eighth type of chemotherapy in three years — and none are working anymore. “I think I won’t make it to the end of the year. Now I even think I won’t make it to Nico’s birthday on August 11. I just feel it,” she said.
A Wedding Against the Odds
The couple began planning the wedding in earnest after Melanie’s relapse in 2023. On Christmas Day 2025, Melanie took the initiative and proposed to Nico at home with their children, gifting him two glasses with a heart motif. She had already set a date — though she admitted she didn’t know if she would still be alive to see it.
Days before the wedding, Melanie was hospitalized at AZ Groeninge in Kortrijk, where doctors drained 4.5 liters of fluid from her abdomen. The civil ceremony was held in the hospital chapel, after which she was transferred by helicopter to the Gulden Spoor domain for the full ceremony. Mayor Ruth Vandenberghe officiated, calling Nico “an example for everyone here.”
“I am genuinely happy that I succeeded, because it didn’t look good the past few days,” Melanie said during the ceremony. Approximately 120 friends and family attended, followed by a reception at zomerbar Casa Limone on Buda-eiland.
Living Fully Despite the Prognosis
Throughout her illness, Melanie has maintained a remarkable outlook. A former lawyer who ran her own practice specializing in family law, she continued to live actively — doing yoga, playing padel, swimming, and strength training — until very recently. “My experience of the past years is that a beautiful life is still possible, even if you have metastatic cancer and are receiving chemo. The most important thing is to be well surrounded,” she said.
The couple has been open about the strain cancer placed on their relationship, even acknowledging that they once considered separation. But they emerged stronger, and they hope their story inspires others. “Beautiful moments can still come, no matter how sick you are. We hope other people can draw courage from our story,” they said.
A Family’s Strength
Nico, who works at the Centre for Student Guidance in Poperinge, draws strength from their three children. “Our children have been her strength to fight as long as possible, and that will also be my strength when Melanie is no longer here,” he said. Daughter Nina, a talented footballer in the Red Flames U15 selection, scored the winning goal in her first international match against Germany in November 2025 — a moment Melanie treasures.
Melanie’s oncologist has warned that the end may come quickly. Her liver is severely affected, and her liver values are declining rapidly. Yet she looks ahead with characteristic grace. “Mama will try to give hints through the sky, because I hope I can still watch from above occasionally,” she said.
The couple hopes to take one last family trip to Portugal if Melanie’s condition allows. Their message to others facing similar battles is clear: keep fighting, cherish every moment, and never stop looking for beauty — even in the hardest of times.