Erin Napier Posts Heartfelt Tribute on 14th Anniversary with Ben Who Made Her Mom of 2 despite Illness

• Ben and Erin Napier celebrate their 14th wedding anniversary. She shared a touching message to her spouse.

• It was unlikely Erin could become a mom, but with Ben, they welcomed two beautiful daughters.

• The couple decided to wed six days after first meeting at college.

After over a decade together, reality stars Erin and Ben Napier are still in marital bliss. Even so, the Hollywood couple's marriage is not without its ups and downs, as there was a time when their future as parents seemed bleak.

HGTV stars Erin and Ben Napier are celebrating their 14th wedding anniversary. The graphic designer took to Instagram to commemorate the couple's milestone.

Erin penned a sweet message about her beloved husband, saying her mom and dad gained another child when she married him years ago:

"14 years ago today, I got a new last name. I am thankful every single day that God saw fit to make us a family, @scotsman.co."

The author shared throwback snapshots from the couple's wedding day; one showed the husband-and-wife duo on the dance floor while sharing a kiss.

Another picture displayed the lovebirds at the altar, exchanging their wedding vows while holding hands and shyly beaming.

What Happened to Erin at 19 That Led to Little Chances of Having a Baby?

In the early stages of their marriage, the couple experienced a difficult period when Erin suffered from a mysterious illness. It went on for a decade, and there was a high possibility that she could not bear children in the future, but Ben stayed with her.

Erin told People in October 2018 that that period was saddening, "scary, and confusing." She began having the said episodes at nineteen.

At first, they would only last a day, wherein she would experience extreme stomach ache "and a low-grade fever," then they would all fade. However, the episodes intensified after getting married to Ben in 2008.

They would go on for days after only appearing for 24 hours. When they became extremely unbearable, Erin was forced to lay in bed for a week because she felt pain every time she moved. To the newlyweds, it was still a mystery as to what caused the episodes.

Ben explained he and his wife did all they could to find out the cause of her agony – they even feared the worst by "thinking it might be something bad like cancer." She took multiple tests, including CT scans hoping something would pop up.

Finally, in 2014, they found answers to their questions after Erin had exploratory surgery. The "Home Town" stars discovered her organs were bound together and were merged by a tissue that concealed everything.

Erin was referred to another surgeon, and she went through another procedure where doctors made the ultimate discovery of a rare condition: a perforated appendix.

The organ burst several times and healed itself over the years. She explained that on the first incident, it "partially raptured," adding that it "was not enough to kill" her, but it only made her ill.

Once the organ healed, it became enclosed in scar tissue and spread all over her body to a point whereby it covered her other organs. Although the doctors removed the tissue and her appendix, Erin was told there were limited chances of her having kids due to the damage caused over time.

The TV personality expressed sadness at the devastating news and admitted that being in the dark about something is what gets to her the most. Erin wanted "proof" that she would not be able to be a mom in the future, and they did not have that.

Miraculously, three years later, the couple learned Erin was pregnant with their first child in 2017. She and Ben welcomed their eldest child, daughter Helen in January 2018. Their youngest daughter Mae arrived in 2021.

Why Did Ben & Erin Decide to Marry "Six Days" after Their First Meeting?

Erin and Ben are college sweethearts who met at Jones County Junior College in Mississippi. The mother of two revealed she had a "crush" on her future spouse, who was well-known around campus.

The woodworker was elected president for almost every club, said Erin, adding he would pull up a chair beside someone sitting alone.

However, their worlds only came together when she had to interview him for the school yearbook. That was it for the happy couple, as it did not take much time for them to fall in love with each other.

They got hitched "six days later, and that was that," said the proud Mississippi native. While she was nineteen at the time, he was 21 years old. Erin said Ben remains her "biggest crush."