Ga. Mom Who Lost Son to Cancer Featured on 'Say Yes to the Dress'
ATLANTA - A Kennesaw mother, who lost her 8-year-old son to cancer, will be featured on an episode of TLC's Say Yes to the Dress: Atlanta Friday night.
In May, Anna Bozman Thompson had to say goodbye to her son, Lake, way too soon after a long battle with leukemia. He was just three weeks shy of his 9th birthday when he died. Lake's story touched the hearts of many, including members of the Atlanta Hawks. In April, he became an honorary member of the team after he was unable to attend the Bert's Big Adventure Trip to Disney World because he was too sick.
In October, Anna tied the knot with her longtime boyfriend, Travis Thompson, in a beautiful outdoor ceremony in Colbert, Georgia. The following month, one of her wedding photos went viral after FOX 5 News shared it on Facebook. The image, taken by her friend and local photographer Brandy Angel, included a photoshopped picture of Lake.
See related: Metro Atlanta Mom's Wedding Photo Honors Angel Son
"Although my family will never be complete here on Earth, we will be in Heaven. I do know that Lake has been watching over us especially when we got married. He made sure that it would be a day that none of us would forget. Although I felt his presence that day and I was actually happy, it was almost unbearable to take family pictures without him," said Anna.
Brandy Angel said she was able to photoshop the image with the help of Jasper, Georgia resident Paul Woodward. While Angel was editing the picture, something else gave her chills.
"When I got home there was this amazing light in so many of the family photos that moved around them," Angel said. "It never changed shape or color and it moved all around them. It even reflected off her dress in one! It had me covered in goose bumps."
The Thompsons' wedding had been put on hold for years as Lake battled cancer, but they finally decided to get married because they knew it's what Lake always wanted.
"The thing I dreaded most was taking the pictures. I was sad because he wasn't going to be in the pictures and it's like you feel guilty taking photos without him," Anna said.
A week before the wedding Anna's mother reached out to Bridals by Lori, which is where Say Yes to the Dress: Atlanta is filmed. She said her daughter needed help finding a dress. Two days before the wedding, store owner Lori Allen and SYTTD Fashion Director Monte Durham loaded up a van with a bunch of wedding dresses and brought the show to Kennesaw, where Anna lives.
"Every now and then we come across a bride that could use a little TLC and Anna is one of those brides," Allen said.
Anna showed up to her mother's metro Atlanta home and was brought to tears when she saw who was inside. Her son loved watching the show while he was in the hospital battling cancer.
The episode airs Friday night on TLC at 9:00 p.m. Take a look at the teaser above, but you'll have to watch the show to witness the priceless moment as she says "yes to the dress!"
To learn more about SYTTD: Atlanta, click here. (Video courtesy of Say Yes to the Dress)