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Newlyweds share father-daughter dance with friends whose father has terminal cancer

At a wedding reception, the only daughter-father dance you’d usually expect to see involves a bride and her dad.

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An unforgettable moment [Photo: Denyse Dias/BelleRey Photography ]

But one couple, Nora and Michaela Cook-Yotts, decided to mix up this rule for a particularly touching reason.

After Michaela Cook-Yotts took the floor with her dad, in a twist to usual convention, a bridesmaid and her sister took the stage with their father.

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The thoughtful couple [Photo: Denyse Dias/BelleRey Photography ]

Jessica Otto – a best friend of Michaela’s since primary school age – and her sister Megan got to dance with their father Peter in an important moment for all of them.

Because Peter has terminal cancer, and presumably won’t be able to dance with his daughters on their actual wedding days.

Peter was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2001, central nervous system lymphoma in 2009, and a brain tumour in 2013 – and relapsed for a fourth time last Spring.

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Jessica and Peter [Photo: Denyse Dias/BelleRey Photography ]

“Not only have Jess and I been friends since the second grade, Pete is my dad’s best friend,” Michaela told Buzzfeed.

“It only made sense that he was up there dancing with Jess and Megan.

“There was just no way it wouldn’t have happened. When Nora suggested it, I knew it needed to happen.”

Peter was apparently clueless about the plan until the DJ called them up.

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The couple wanted the father and his daughters to be able to experience this milestone [Photo: Denyse Dias/BelleRey Photography]

“The first my dad heard of it was when the DJ called myself, Megan and our dad to the dance floor,” Megan also explained.

“He was shocked.”

The Otto family regularly take part in fundraising bike ride the Pan-Mass challenge, but unfortunately, Peter can’t make this year’s event.

So Jessica is riding and fundraising alone, hoping to raise $15,000 (£11,500) towards cancer research and treatment.

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