Community illuminates terminally ill man’s birthday with Christmas magic: ‘Overwhelmed with love’
By WTVR CBS 6 Web Staff
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HANOVER COUNTY, Virginia (WTVR) — Christmas came early to a Mechanicsville couple Saturday as the community answered a wife’s call to spread holiday cheer for her husband’s birthday celebration while he battles stage 4 terminal cancer.
George and Renee Bond welcomed neighbors and strangers to their Fullview Avenue home for a Christmas lights extravaganza in George’s honor.
The couple, who are both 69, met nearly four decades ago when music brought them together.
“We started out as friends, then we started singing a few songs together,” George, who was known as “Jammin George” for his guitar playing, said earlier this week.
The pair formed a band and blended their families, spending the next 37 years making memories together.
“She’s my living angel,” George said.
Unfortunately, a stage 4 terminal cancer diagnosis disrupted the future the music partners had planned.
“My husband has stage 4 terminal cancer,” Renee said. “As aggressive as this has been, I feel like we’ll be lucky to have him through Christmas.”
Despite the uncertainty, Renee was determined to ensure George’s remaining time would be filled with joy. When he became too sick for planned outings, she invited the community to bring Christmas lights to fill their backyard for his birthday celebration on Saturday.
“Since he wanted to show y’all the lights, let’s show him the lights,” Renee said.
The celebration brought together dozens of community members who decorated the couple’s fence, tree line and every available space with twinkling lights.
“To have all these people coming together shows me their love for me… It’s beautiful,” George said.
Saturday’s celebration started at 3 p.m. and was open to anyone seeking love and laughter under the lights.
“We just want you to come and share the love, it’s not about what you bring and to give him a birthday present is just you showing up,” Renee said.
“I want his children to have this memory instead of a grief memory,” Renee said.
Anchored in their faith, the couple plans to share their final days together finishing their beautiful ballad.
“I know when I get on the other side, it’s going to be another party going on,” George said.
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