Dee Dee Ricks, Patient Navigation Advocate, Weds in Argentinian Ceremony

NEW YORK, March 28, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Dee Dee Ricks, subject of the HBO Documentary The Education of Dee Dee Ricks, married her longtime love, Armando Raul Vuksanovic, in Cafayate, Argentina, this past Saturday. The couple met on the tennis court while Armando was a professional tennis player in East Hampton. Armando is a Financial Representative with Certified Financial Services and Dee Dee is the Founder of Ricks Consulting Group, Inc. She founded her business in 1994 to serve and advise hedge funds, private equity funds and sovereign wealth funds on talent acquisition that helps maximize portfolio optimization.

(Photo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130328/NY85108)

Dr. Harold P. Freeman, a long-time friend and colleague, was honored to give the bride away. Dr. Freeman was previously Senior Advisor to the Director of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and is also the Founder of the Harold P. Freeman Patient Navigation Institute. He is the pioneer of Patient Navigation and met Dee Dee during the filming of The Education of Dee Dee Ricks.

"I was honored to give Dee Dee away to her husband, Armando," says Dr. Freeman. "Our friendship grew out of a shared commitment to help others. The result is that countless individuals who needed assistance to obtain timely quality health care have benefited from patient navigation. I am very proud to have Dee Dee as a partner in this life saving work." 

The bride chose her favorite designer, Angel Sanchez, to custom design her dress.

"When I first met Dee Dee, I was seduced by her delicate being and her human nature," says Sanchez. "Immediately, I suggested a very ethereal gown for her – light-weight and made completely in tulle silk, with a touch of color. We decided on a very soft ice blue as the foundation of the gown, which complemented her beautiful eyes. I came up with covered sequence embroidery on the tulle, which makes it look like a modern lace but the same time, also very classic and timeless. This gown expresses perfectly the personality and beauty of Dee Dee."

Cristela Russo was the Wedding Planner.

"I am very grateful and proud that the bride and groom have placed their confidence in me to supervise such an important moment of their lives," says Cristela.

Dee Dee Ricks became a household name when HBO premiered The Education of Dee Dee Ricks, a documentary chronicling Dee Dee as a self-made millionaire and mother of two as she battles breast cancer – and the healthcare industry. The documentary is now available to a wide audience on iTunes, an audience Dee Dee hopes will take away comfort and knowledge from the film, as it truly shows the raw experience of a diagnosis, the harsh realities of our healthcare system, and personal moments of a woman's courageous battle to maintain her family and business during the most difficult time in her life.

"I was honored to celebrate one of the most special days of my and my sons' lives in the beautiful country of Argentina," says Dee Dee. "I feel blessed to be a part of Armando's family and friends and to begin our lives in both Argentina and the United States. To have Dr. Freeman be "The Presenter of the Bride" is a dream come true. Dr. Freeman changed my life by opening my eyes and giving me a new purpose to help others. That new outlook on life is ultimately what gave me the opportunity to finally find the love of my life."

SOURCE Dee Dee Ricks