Joey Feek, one-half of the husband-and-wife country music duo Joey + Rory, cried tears of joy when she found out that the couple's song "If I Needed You" was nominated for the Best Country Duo/Group Performance Grammy award, the Tennessean reported. Joey received the news as she remained in hospice care at her childhood home in Indiana where she wished to live out her last days with terminal cervical cancer, and her husband Rory said she has a new goal: to live to see the Grammy awards ceremony.
"Joey and I woke (Monday) morning just thankful for the chance to have another day to be together," Rory told The Tennessean. "But hearing the news brought not only tears and smiles, it has brought us hope."
Joey was diagnosed with cervical cancer in May 2014, as previously reported by HNGN. After undergoing chemotherapy, radiation and a hysterectomy, doctors revealed that the cancer had spread. She chose to stop treatment in October and moved into hospice care to spend her last days with her husband and the couple's 22-month-old daughter Indiana.
Rory announced the Grammy nod for Best Country Duo/Group Performance on the couple's official Facebook page and expressed shock at the nomination.
"The song received no radio airplay... no press... no critical acclaim... and the only music video we made for it was to celebrate the day our little Indiana was born," Rory wrote in his Facebook post.
But the couple is grateful for the nod, and Joey has a lot to look forward to. The 58th annual Grammy Awards will take place on Feb. 15 in Los Angeles, the couple's final album "Hymns That Are Important To Us" will be released on Feb. 14, and on Feb. 17 little Indiana will celebrate her second birthday.
"Joey set a personal goal (Monday) morning of being here for all three," Rory told the Tennessean. "She's so faith-filled and determined, don't be surprised if you see us sitting in the audience at the award show, holding hands and smiling when they open the ballot and read the winner's name."
See the video for the Grammy-nominated song "If I Needed You" below.
