Tampa mom hopes to honor daughter's memory by giving away wedding dress

TAMPA, Fla. - For many brides, it's the dress that makes the day. But for Denise Haynes, it was the woman wearing the dress.

"She walked out of that room on her wedding day, and I saw her. And the smiles; she was just so happy that day," Denise recalled. 

Denise will never forget the joy of her daughter's wedding day in 2011 or the sadness that soon followed. Within a year of walking down the aisle, her daughter Kady, at 28 years old, was diagnosed with breast cancer.

Kady found a lump in her chest. Then she had a double mastectomy and underwent six rounds of chemo. But her cancer returned in January 2012 and it had metastasized.

Kady passed away in 2014 at just 30 years old.

Now, Denise hopes to honor her daughter by finding a new home for her special wedding dress. 

"It's something I just want somebody to have, and love, as much as she loved it," she said.

The beaded couture gown, a size 4 originally valued at $8,000, is one of the last items Denise has of her daughter's.

"I know how expensive wedding gowns can be; it's a big chunk of a bride's budget. So I thought, I just want to give it to somebody. I don't want anything for it. Just bless them," she said.

Denise hopes it's someone who is touched by her daughter's story, but more than anything, she wants the bride to feel exactly how her Kady felt on that day.

"I want someone else to have that experience," she added. "And I know it's going to take a lot of variables -- wanting that design, the size, everything. But if it happens, it'll be magic for someone else."

Anyone who is interested in learning more about the dress can email Denise at all4kady@gmail.com.