Jessica Parido's announcement to marry fellow "Shahs of Sunset" star Mike Shouhed was met with derision but the reality star traced that decision back to when she was diagnosed with leukemia when she was still a child.

In an interview for People, Jessica Parido addressed the controversy surrounding her marriage to Mike Shouhed despite the very short engagement period.

"I got accused on the show of being 'desperate to get married' but the reason I was so 'desperate to get married' is because I knew what I wanted," she said. "At one point in my life, I didn't know if I was going to make it to this point, so I was ready to start this new chapter in my life."

For the audience to understand where Jessica Parido is coming from, the "Shahs of Sunset" star explained that she was only given months to live when she was still a child, and had surgery at 14 years old from the bone marrow donated by her 12-year-old sister in order to have a chance at survival.

When she turned 15 years old, she was still recuperating at the hospital.

Mike Shouhed's wife explained, "I was the child in the bubble. I became an adult at that point. You grow up fast when you're in that environment because you're slapped in the face with reality every day. It completely changed my life."

When she was finally released, she said that she "just started crying because I hadn't even smelled fresh air in, like, eight months."

Her stay at the hospital left a big impression on Jessica Parido that she became a registered nurse in order to help others.

"Shahs of Sunset" star Jessica Parido got married to Mike Shouhed in March at the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles.

"The wedding was everything I wanted and more. Jessica had a dress made for her and she looked gorgeous," Mike Shouhed told E! News. "My rabbi was off the hook. He kept it short and sweet. It was a Jewish ceremony. Jessica's fully converted and we're going to have a Jewish family."

"Shahs of Sunset" reality star Mike Shouhed said of Jessica Parido, "She's taught me so much about life. She gives me wisdom and strength and the understanding that things could always be worse."