A love forged in fire

Featuring Michael Victor D. Aguaviva and Sheena Mae Alexis A. Du

Not every love story begins with a grand gesture. Sometimes, it starts with a simple greeting, and someone walking away.

Mike and Sheena met during their second year of pharmacy school at Cebu Doctors’ University. Both were older than their batchmates, walking into class not as wide-eyed freshmen, but as individuals who had already faced life’s harsh edges. Mike had just survived leukemia, having spent four years in chemotherapy. Sheena, a licensed medical technologist, had just shifted paths to take over her family’s pharmacy business.

“We were the Kuya and Ate of the batch,” Mike shared. “People teased us constantly—even our professors shipped us! But honestly, we were opposites. Sheena was disciplined and driven; I was laid-back and lazy.”

Despite their differences, shared experiences, grueling academics, friendship, healing, eventually brought them together. After Sheena experienced a painful breakup and found a new home in Mike’s circle of friends, the spark between them became undeniable.

“We decided to give it a shot. It just felt right,” said Sheena.

But love was only the beginning of their trials.

In 2021, Mike was diagnosed with a brain tumor, a delayed side effect from his previous cancer treatments. During the height of the pandemic, he flew to the U.S. alone for three major surgeries. Sheena stayed in the Philippines, anchoring their relationship from afar. “We seriously thought it was over,” Sheena said. “A wedding felt like a pipe dream.”

And yet, here they are.

Their wedding day was a springtime dream, a season of new beginnings following a long and painful winter. Pastel florals, handwritten poems, and Sheena’s embroidered keepsakes, each item was lovingly crafted to reflect the resilience of their journey.

Sheena, ever the artist, spent over a year designing and making personal touches: her embroidered shoes, a vintage-inspired vow booklet, a bouquet wrap in honor of her late father, and even their wedding invitations. “I didn’t want anything cookie-cutter. I wanted our wedding to be a reflection of who we are, and what we’ve survived.”

Their big day wasn’t without surprises. Mike’s childhood friend flew in unexpectedly. Sheena’s brother and best friend gifted them a luxury car. And moments before walking down the aisle, Sheena, overwhelmed and alone in the bridal car, eventually suffered a panic attack.

But with her brother’s support and a loop of Canon in D playing outside the cathedral, she steadied her heart.

And when the doors finally opened, she walked, and every step was a testament to courage, healing, and love that refused to give up.

“This isn’t just a wedding,” Mike said. “It’s a victory. It’s a miracle we’re even here. And we’re not taking a single moment of it for granted.”