Woman had a 16-pound tumor removed from her face in Miami — now she’s found love

MIRAMAR, Fla. – Marlie Casseus is embracing joy on a very special day.

The 31-year-old, who has endured rounds of surgeries and years of media coverage, is getting married.

Her physical health has continued to deteriorate and she can no longer walk, but her longtime friend Billy Wyatt is becoming her husband.

“Her heart is what was amazing and that’s what captivated me the most,” said Wyatt.

“The joy that Billy brought to her, it was like an angel,” said nurse Gina Eugene.

Casseus first came to South Florida from Haiti when she was 14, for surgery at Jackson Memorial Hospital to remove a 16-pound tumor from her face.

It affected her eating and breathing, but loved ones said not her sense of hope.

“I was amazed,” said Wyatt. “Her story really captured me at that time. We started sending gifts, helping out with school supplies, and that was 15 years ago. It organically evolved.”

Wyatt, following Casseus’ story on the news those years ago, says he’s helped her financially and emotionally.

The pair has been close ever since.