BUFFALO, N.Y. — You may not think of Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center as a very romantic place. But a few days before Christmas, the hospital shared a photo on social media of what they believe to be the first-ever proposal at the Tree of Hope.
“About two years ago I was in Roswell getting some cancer care, and I was inpatient so when they did the tree-lighting ceremony during Christmas time, I, unfortunately, wasn’t able to see it,” 26-year-old Erik Gorenflow of Williamsville told 2 On Your Side.
But there was something else brightening up his days in treatment. He had just met Kelsey Niosi, right before his third recurrence of metastatic testicular cancer.
“It was very new in the beginning, and I was like this is tough obviously," Niosi said. "But I just felt like it was something that I didn’t want to let go of, and here we are today two and a half years later.”
It didn’t take long for Erik to realize Kelsey was the one.
“Her and I grew very close over my cancer care, and two years later, since we didn’t have a chance to see the tree the first time, proposing in front of the Christmas tree would be the perfect spot to do it.”
“I got home from work he was acting very strange," Niosi said when asked if she was surprised. "We went to dinner before and he didn’t eat his dinner at all, and I was like are you okay? What’s going on? So I kind of had an idea," she said.
"That night, I didn’t know where we were going to do it, and I was like why are we going to Roswell? But he really brought it all together because that is kind of where our journey began.”
Erik is in remission now, and as he enters a new year and new chapter in his life, he's sharing his outlook with others.
“You gotta look at things as glass half full," he said. "Even in terrible situations, there’s always a light at the end of the tunnel. So I found mine with Kelsey, and I know everyone else can find theirs as well.”