Man with cystic fibrosis dies before seeing his dying wife

But without his illness, Dalton wouldn't have met the love of his life, Katie Donovan while he was attending Francis Howell High School.

Katie posted an emotional farewell on Facebook, saying in part, "Dalton fought a long hard battle with Cystic Fibrosis".

"That was definitely something I had to think about, but when you have those feelings, you just know", Katie told CNN.

But Katie would not be ignored. It wasn't long before he fell for the Kentucky girl with cystic fibrosis.

"It gave me some of the best years of my life", she told CNN. "Really she saved me from myself".

"When you feel like your time is running out, throw caution to the wind and you do what makes you happy", said Dalton. Earlier in September, according to the Lexington Herald Leader, Katie began receiving hospice care after doctors discovered a series of ailments related to her transplant, including cancer and kidney failure.

In 2011, both married. The 25-year-old was diagnosed with lymphoma months after his surgery, and his health continued to deteriorate leading up to his passing as he contracted pneumonia and a viral infection.

Katie Prager had complications following her transplant and it was never successful.

"He meant everything to me", said Katie.

The Fault in Our Stars couple had hoped that they would be able to see each other one more time, and planned to have medical transport provide Dalton with a way to visit katie in Kentucky, but that wasn't to be. The pop culture connection has caught on with media all over the world, beginning with a CNN report.

"While Dalton was recovering we could not see each other due to the threat of infecting his new lungs with cepacia". The Daily Mail in England ran the story.

Their romance has been compared to the tragic tale in the famous book and movie, The Fault in Our Stars.

Katie's transplant never worked well.

Ultimately, though, she decided Dalton was worth the risk. To them, there was no way they weren't going to be together.

However, the transfer was set back numerous times for several reasons, and on September 17, the same day Mrs. Prager's family made a decision to throw her an early Christmas celebration, Mr. Prager passed away at the young age of twenty-five.

"I told Dalton I'd rather be happy - like really, really happy - for five years of my life and die sooner than be mediocre happy and live for 20 years", Katie said. That's the only thing that can happen.

And though the average life expectancy is close to 40 years for those who can avoid the risky bacteria that lead to lung infections, Katie told CNN the day before Dalton died that she doesn't regret foregoing the medical warnings to kiss him at the Dairy Queen.