Mom of 4 Is Placed in Hospice Care 2 Weeks Before Son's Wedding. On His Big Day, She's on the Dance Floor with a Smile (Exclusive)

• Olivia Armao was first diagnosed with breast cancer in the early 2000s. But in May 2021, the cancer returned and metastasized
• The mom of four was placed in hospice care in mid-October, just two weeks before her son Salvatore’s wedding
• On Nov. 2, she defied expectations and arrived at Basilica Hudson in Hudson, New York, alongside the other 105 guests, to watch her son walk down the aisle
• Her daughter Liv posted a video about her mom attending on TikTok; the clip has since gone viral, garnering more than 530,000 views

When Olivia Armao was placed in hospice care in mid-October just two weeks before her son Salvatore’s wedding, her family wasn’t sure if she would be able to make it to the nuptials.

The 62-year-old mom of four from Long Island, New York, was first diagnosed with breast cancer in the early 2000s. She went into remission within a year and went on to have her daughter, Liv, in February of 2005. But in May of 2021, the cancer returned. After undergoing chemotherapy and radiation, she had a single mastectomy in October 2022, at which point doctors determined the cancer had metastasized.

"Our relationship with our mother has always been great," daughter Liv, now 19, tells PEOPLE. 'We were fortunate enough for her to be a stay-at-home mom during our childhood. She was heavily involved in all our activities, and would attend any games to sports that we participated in."

"It has not been easy to watch her go through her diagnosis and treatment. She has been fighting for so long," Liv adds. "We are also lucky to have such a great support system. Many of our friends and family have been with her every step of the way, helping in any way they can."

"My mom is a strong woman, and the amount she complains doesn’t match the pain we see her endure," she continues. "She is our hero."

In October, before entering hospice care, Liv recalls how her mom was in the hospital, and all she could talk about was attending the wedding. With Olivia's health deteriorating, Liv says her brother Salvatore and his fiancée Kelsey had even considered holding the wedding ceremony in the hospital room if necessary.

But that contingency plan quickly became unnecessary. On Nov. 2, their mom defied expectations and arrived at Basilica Hudson in Hudson, New York, alongside the other 105 guests to watch her son walk down the aisle — turning the hopes of her kids and everyone else in attendance into a reality. In fact, Liv says her mom exceeded even the best-case scenario the family had imagined.

"She had missed the welcome dinner the night before because she wasn’t feeling well," Liv says. "Then she woke up in a much better mood, ready to take on the day. I think we knew my mom was going to make it there, but there was a lot of unease until the actual wedding day."

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On the day of the wedding, the makeup artist moved her entire setup to accommodate Olivia. Her hair and wig were styled by her friend Esther through her salon, De La Mer. She was dressed by relatives, and Liv and her brother Joe helped with finishing touches.

Throughout the celebration, Liv says she and her siblings watched as their mom danced, laughed, cried and had the best day. One highlight of the wedding that will forever stick out to them was the mother/son dance, Liv adds.

"She was thanking God that she made it because she wasn’t sure she was going to, and mainly she was beyond happy and excited to be there to witness her son get married," Liv says. "On the dance floor she was so emotional, and it was very difficult for her not to cry because she didn’t want her son to cry as well."

"She’s been known to always wear her emotions on her sleeves and it’s often contagious to all those around her," Liv adds.

After the wedding, Liv posted a video about her mom attending on TikTok, because she wanted to highlight how incredible she is. But to her surprise, the video went viral, garnering more than 530,000 views.

"The response has been so incredible," Liv says. "We have all had people reach out to us that have sent their love and have checked in on us. A lot of people were able to share their own experiences, and it makes you feel less alone. Knowing other people have been through similar situations really touched us in a way we did not know possible."

"Life is unexpectedly short. We have ideas in our mind on how we think our life is going to go, but it does not always pan out that way," she adds. "Cherish your loved ones while they are here and be present to really appreciate the important things in your life."

Since the wedding, Olivia celebrated her 62nd birthday on Nov. 7. Other than that, she and her family are just taking everything day by day.

"It’s difficult to sum up my mother while being brief," her daughter says. "She's always beaming with positivity and spreading love and laughter to anyone who happens to be in her presence. I can’t tell you how many times she became best friends with complete strangers. People are always drawn to her humor, warmth, generosity and how genuine she is."

"These characteristics remain a core part of her even after the disease took her hair, scarred her body and transformed the simplest tasks into agony," Liv adds. "Even on her worst days she still finds ways to make me, my family or a random nurse she just met smile and laugh. The ability to do that without succumbing to bitterness and negativity is a true miracle."