Jo Grant and Jill Kindt were the first same-sex couple to marry in Australia, after the country voted to legalised equal marriage last year.
Officials had waived the 30-day waiting period to let the couple of eight years get married due to exceptional circumstances; Jo was suffering from a rare form of cancer.
Jo and Jill tied the knot less than a week after same-sex marriage became legal in Australia, and held a private ceremony at their home in Queensland in December.
However, after 48 days of marriage, Jo sadly passed away.
Jo’s family gave officials permission to mention her passing during a discussion in parliament earlier this week.
“This is a love story – of the deep bond between Jo Grant and Jill Kindt,” state Attorney-General Yvette D’Ath told lawmakers.
Before Jo passed away, she was able to call the love of her life her wife. Jo Grant and Jill Kindt were married on December 15. They were the first same-sex couple to be married in Australia. https://t.co/kAsb33TIma #qldpol #auspol pic.twitter.com/FjtRc3icCU
— Felicity Caldwell (@fel_caldwell) March 7, 2018
“This is also an inspiring story of the extraordinary length our staff went to, to make this historic marriage happen before it was too late.”
Attorney-General D’Ath added that Grant’s mother, Sandra, believed the special marriage ceremony “renewed Jo’s spirit, keeping her alive along enough to have one last Christmas with her family.”
“She passed away knowing she got to fulfil her wish to get married to the person she loved.”
Jill praised the efforts of the Australian officials who went to helped make sure they could get married as soon as possible. It included a team driving paperwork across the state of Queensland to make sure it was delivered on time.
“We were overwhelmed by the fact the people who did not know us made something that we wanted happen and gave us a whole heap of joy,” she told ABC News. “That’s the story.”
Earlier this week, new Australian Deputy Prime Minister, Michael McCormack, offered to host a same-sex wedding as an apology for previous homophobic remarks he has made.
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