At the center of the marriage cases argued Tuesday before the Supreme Court is a heartbreaking story. Petitioner James Obergefell was in a relationship with another man, John Arthur, for many years. In 2011, John was diagnosed with ALS, an excruciating death sentence of a disease that causes even the most seasoned doctor to shudder.

James took care of John as the disease progressed. In 2013, James and John decided to get married. Same-sex marriage wasn’t recognized in their home state of Ohio, so, using donated funds, they hired a medical plane to take them to Maryland, a state where it was. Due to John’s deteriorating state, they never left the plane, and were married on the tarmac in Baltimore. They returned to Ohio, and in October 2013, John passed away, not legally recognized as James’ spouse — a harm that, James argues, brought him to the Supreme Court.