anniversaries
N PHOTOS BY JOEY HALVORSON
A
ikki and Brian Vang celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary this year, just like thousands of other couples.
Hearty Celebration
By BY SHEILA HELMBERGER
When the time comes they’re sure to look at the road that led them here and marvel just a little. Nikki was born with a genetic heart condition called HCM (hypertrophic cardiomyopathy). She’s been on heart medication since she was just 2 years old. The road to this anniversary has not been typical. Brian proposed in 2004 but the couple knew they would have to postpone their wedding until Nikki could have a necessary heart transplant. She says she told Brian he had a chance to run, but he didn’t take it. In 2005, she had her transplant. Following the surgery one of her friends entered her in a contest sponsored by a local bridal shop. Nikki’s story won and in October of 2006 they 36 36 Fall 2016 | her voice
cashed in. “Our wedding was amazing,” remembers Nikki. “They decorated for the reception, and the prize included the flowers, my jewelry, tuxes, and my dress, everything but the food. It was so nice.” The past 10 years have been busy. Two years ago Nikki and Brian bought the True Value Hardware store in Deerwood from his parents, Pat and Ollie. They’re the third generation to operate the store. The decision to own a business included some heavy conversations. “Brian is very supportive,” says Nikki. “When we bought the store we talked about the times that I would be sick and that I would have a lot of doctor appointments. I do miss a lot of work. When he hears a customer come into the store that is sick he sends me to the back room.”
Nikki and Brian own the True Value Hardware in Deerwood.