Veteran with terminal cancer marries partner of 12 years at VA hospital

IOWA CITY, Iowa (KCRG/Gray News) - An Army veteran battling terminal cancer and his partner of 12 years are making the most of the time they have left together after getting married at a VA hospital.

Army veteran Mark Joos recently tied the knot with his partner, Carla, after 12 years together. They celebrated their special day in a special place: the chapel at the Iowa City VA Hospital. But how the couple ended up at the altar was anything but ordinary, KCRG reports.

It’s been a difficult year for Mark, who was diagnosed with a type of blood cancer in 2024. Since then, he’s also been diagnosed with a severe lung condition and a rare bacteria infection, making him severely immunocompromised.

“It’s tipped our world upside down,” Carla said.

“It’s been difficult, especially mentally,” Mark said.

In June, a scary, 12-day hospital stay left the couple worried about the future.

“He really didn’t think he was leaving this hospital,” Carla said.

Unsure about how much time they had left together, the couple finally decided to get married.

“Getting married was the right thing for us to do,” Carla said. “We had talked about maybe next year, but we don’t know if Mark will be here next year.”

After spending several days a week at the hospital for treatment, the VA became like home and the staff became like family, so the couple thought there was no better place to hold their wedding.

“Wouldn’t it be fun just to do it right here?” Carla said.

All told, it took about a week and a half to organize the wedding, with the VA staff more than happy to help make the day as special as possible. One social worker became the impromptu wedding planner. Another caretaker, who happened to be ordained, officiated the ceremony.

“They’ve been on top of anything and everything, no matter how slight or how big,” Mark said, praising the hospital staff for helping him through his medical troubles.

Ultimately, the wedding celebrates Mark and Carla, whose love will last a lifetime, despite the former’s condition.

“He’s a fighter,” Carla said. “He’s not gonna give up. He keeps his spirits up every day.”

“She’s there every day, whether we’re here or there. If I have a day where I don’t feel good and just want to lay around, that’s fine and dandy,” Mark said of Carla.