A New York mom is opening up after a video of her dancing with her son at his wedding went viral.
In the clip shared on TikTok, which has already picked up over half a million views since it was posted on Nov. 3, Olivia Armao hugs her son Sal Armao as they share a dance on his wedding day. But as the text overlaid on the video explains, what viewers see isn’t your typical mother-son wedding dance.
The difference is that Olivia Armao is in hospice care. She told “Good Morning America” she was diagnosed with breast cancer for a second time in 2021.
Olivia Armao said the special memory with her 30-year-old son was “really sweet” and one she can’t put into words.
“I was just happy that I was there and I was able to wait to dance with him. That was really my main concern,” the 62-year-old mom of four told “GMA.”
Sal Armao, who married his wife Kelsey Armao on Nov. 2, said he and his family didn’t even know if the shared dance would happen because his mom had to be hospitalized two weeks before his wedding for multiple blood clots. “It was on my mind how it was going to happen, if she was going to be able to make it, if we would be able to dance,” Sal Armao recalled. Nonetheless, he said, “She got up and she did a hell of a job.” Olivia Armao was diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer in 2021, which later spread, with masses in her lungs and lesions in her brain. Despite all of her health challenges and the uncertainty ahead of his wedding, Sal Armao called his mom “the strongest person.” “We bet on her because we know she’s the strongest person we know,” he said. His brother, Joe Armao, who is now their mom’s full-time caregiver, agreed. “My mom has always been a trooper, so part of me knew that she’d be able to do her end of the dance — but just going through it, watching it, it was beautiful,” he echoed. “It was everything that I wanted for my brother and more, and I’m just happy that we were all able to participate in that moment, because you could feel it in the room.” Bride Kelsey Armao added that it was “really special” to be a part of a beautiful and shared memory. “It was exactly how Sal had hoped it would go … just turning what could have been a really, really sad moment into a very special and beautiful moment that everyone was able to experience,” she said. For anyone who sees their viral video, Olivia Armao said she simply wants them to remember to be a good person. “I just want people to realize that life is short. Be good to people. They’ll be good to you,” she said. Her daughter Liv Armao added, “Don’t take anything for granted. Love your loved ones every single day. Never end on a bad note.”
