“At 7:52 I said ‘I can’t wait until I get to see you again’ to my hero, my best friend, my inspiration, my wife,” Justin began the heartfelt note.
“@gigrunewald I always felt like the Robin to your Batman and I know I will never be able to fill this gaping hole in my heart or fill the shoes you have left behind,” he continued. “Your family loves you dearly as do your friends.”
Chip and Gabefirst crossed pathslast year after the professional distance runner helped train him for hisfirst marathon.
“When @chipgaines made the final push in his #chipinchallenge I could feel your happiness building and could also see that this made you ready to head up to heaven,” he wrote. “Chip thanks for helping her to go up so peacefully with no suffering.”
Added Justin: “To everyone else from all ends of the earth, Gabriele heard your messages and was so deeply moved. She wants you to stay brave and keep all the hope in the world. Thanks for helping keep her brave in her time of need 😪🙏🏻”
Gabriele Grunewald/Instagram
Gabe, a former track and cross-country athlete for the University of Minnesota, was first diagnosed with a rare salivary gland cancer called adenoid cystic carcinoma in 2009. A year later, the Perham, Minnesota native learned she also had thyroid cancer.
Over the past few days, Justin kept his followers updated with the unfortunate circumstances around Gabe’s declining health.
On Sunday, he revealed that his wife had beenmoved to comfort care after her condition began to worsenand asked everyone to send “one last message” to Gabe before she “heads up to heaven.”
The decision came just two days after Gabe wasreadmitted to the ICUbecause she was experiencing septic shock.
“It breaks my heart to say but overnight Gabriele’s status worsened with worsening liver function causing confusion. Wanting to do her no harm we have made the difficult decision to move her to comfort cares this afternoon,” Justinsadly announcedon Instagram.
Justin Grunewald Instagram
“I wanted to let you all know while she is still alive so you can send her one last message here or on her wall or on her phone before she heads up to heaven,” he added.
While watching Gabe fight a few years back, Justin said he wrote her a letter to describe what she meant to him. That note, along with a heartbreaking photo of the couple holding hands in the hospital, was also shared to his Instagram.
“Thank you so much for showing me what it’s like to be and feel alive. It’s easy to pass through life day to day and punch a time card wishing away the hours,” he wrote. “Currently although I don’t always show it, I cherish every second.”
Justin went on to explain how “life is scary” and that the couple unfairly “won the lottery of uncertainty” but said he’d rather have that life with Gabe “over any alternative option I could think of.”
Justin and Gabe Grunewald.Justin Grunewald Instagram
“I have so much fun with you and have learned more from having you as my best friend and wife than I learned in the rest of my life combined,” he sweetly wrote.
He also noted how brave his wife has been through the terrifying experience and referenced her“Brave Like Gabe” foundation, which the runner created as a way to support rare cancer research and empower all cancer survivors through physical activity.
“At the end of the day people won’t remember the PRs run or the teams qualified for but they will remember that hard period in their life where they were losing hope but they found inspiration in a young lady who refuses to give up,” he finished. “I love you.”
Justin and Gabe Grunewald.Justin Grunewald/Instagram
On Monday, Justin sharedanother heartbreaking photo— this time, of his wife on the couch at home in comfort care with several of her loved ones around her.
Justin also revealed that as the couple returned to their new condo for the final time together,Chip and Joanna Gaines, along with Magnolia PR director Brock Murphy, helped add some new décor to the walls to “make it feel like home.”
“She made it home in time to see some extra special finishes @chipgaines, @joannagaines, and @brockwayne put on our new condo to make it feel like home,” he added. “For that, I have no words. #bravelikegabe #runningonhope #keeprunningonhope”
He followed that post with another emotional one on Tuesday, where he sadly revealed that Gabe had worsened.
“As the seconds between Gabriele’s @gigrunewald breaths start to lengthen I’m holding her hands so tight and am so scared for the trail ahead,” hewrote alongside a photo of the pair hiking together.
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Herlast Instagram post, which came on May 4, stressed the importance of cancer research after she was forced to miss her Brave Like Gabe 5K because she was hospitalized with an infection.
“It’s not lost on me that maybe this is one of the most poignant ways to show just how critical research is,” she wrote. “Cancer is nothing if not incredibly inconvenient and we need more options. I wish I didn’t have to show it in this way.”
source: people.com
