Charles Kelley popped the question to his girlfriend of 6 years Azizah Hawkins during Buffalo’s Walk MS event
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(jpeg)/Man-proposes-to-girlfriend-with-MS-during-fundraising-walk-051426-50ee0a7bbd514b92ae750bb1d040c551.jpg "Man proposes to girlfriend with MS during fundraising walk")
Credit: WIVBTV/YouTube
NEED TO KNOW
- Azizah Hawkins has lived with multiple sclerosis for nearly 20 years
- Hawkins partner Charles Kelley proposed to her during Buffalo’s Walk MS
- Hawkins hopes their engagement will inspires others with MS
One woman got the surprise of her life as she was crossing the finish line at a Multiple Sclerosis fundraising event
Azizah Hawkins has struggled with MS for nearly 20 years, and has turned to research advocacy to help others with the same diagnosis. During her local Walk MS in Buffalo, N.Y., which fundraises for MS research, Hawkins was nearing the end of the walk when her boyfriend Charles Kelley got down on one knee and popped the question.
"I felt like I was proposing to my best friend,” Kelley told WIVB-TV. “We like joking, we hang, everything. So it was a no-brainer for me.”
Hawkins and Kelley have known each other since childhood, and have been together for about six years. Kelley has been steadfast in his support for Hawkins throughout her battle with MS, signing up to walk with her on their team "MS Outlaws" and donning country-western attire to fit their theme.
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Hawkins said she hopes her engagement inspires others with MS to find love in their own lives.
“For women and men that have MS, that’s not the end-all be-all,” she said. “You will be able to live a normal life.”
Kelley shared that he knew the walk was important for Hawkins and decided to make the day extra special with the proposal. He is inspired by Hawkins' resilience every day, he said: “What amazes me about her, even through the tough times, we’re cracking up."