15 YEARS AND 6 SONS LATER....♥ GLEN ELLYN–Dan and Sam Dufresne met on the trading floor while working at a hedge fund in Chicago. After two years of dating and a dinner at a French restaurant in the Gold Coast area, the couple went back to Dan’s apartment where he proposed in front of the Christmas tree, on the 42nd floor overlooking downtown Chicago.
A year down the line, they had a classic Chicago wedding. The ceremony was at Holy Name Cathedral, pictures out by Adler Planetarium, reception at the Palmer House, and a honeymoon in Australia.
15 years and 6 sons later, respect, teamwork, communication, and selflessness are at the core of Dan and Sam’s marriage. The newlyweds were tested right out the gate when their first son was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect at 10 days old and had open heart surgery at six months. Then in 2012, their third son was just 2.5 years old when he was diagnosed with a brain tumor and had brain surgery the day after diagnosis. They are eternally thankful for the Lurie’s Children team and actively support the brain tumor center and music therapy programs.
“These experiences can drive couples and families apart,” she adds. “We found they brought us closer together; so when the inevitable complaining about ‘life’ occurs in our house, we remind them to be obsessively grateful, because in the end, that one sporting event, that one test, that one disagreement, doesn’t matter.”
The Dufresne’s are blessed with the boy’s busy lives - Jake (13), Luke (11), Ryan (9), Liam (6), Noah (4), and Owen (3) are all active in sports and piano. Balancing Dan’s high pressure job and life with six active kids is not easy, but they make sure to set aside time when they can be together– just the 8 of them! –Kristen Kucharski
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