Jordan and John Groom, both 29, celebrated their vow renewal in California earlier this month while she faces cancer

“We wanted a moment of brightness for our family and friends to remember,” Jordan says of the ceremony, which was organized by nonprofit Wish Upon a Wedding
“I know it sounds cliché, but I’ve never seen a couple that embodies love as much as they do,” a longtime friend gushes
Editor’s note: Johnny Dodd, a senior writer at PEOPLE, first began covering Chicago-based nonprofit Wish Upon a Wedding last year.

Earlier this month, he attended one of the ceremonies they throw for terminal and seriously ill couples, speaking with the family and organizers. This is their story.