When the family of cancer-stricken Jean Stevenson were told she had only hours to live they faced a race against time to arrange the whirlwind marriage.
In a superhuman one-day effort last Thursday, her fiance David Nicholls managed to secure a special marriage licence, a registrar to perform the ceremony, buy the rings and get family to the the hospital in time to make their tear-stained vows.
Within half-an-hour of saying 'I do' grandmother Jean, 66, lost her three-week battle against cancer with her new husband and children at her side.
But the family said they wanted to celebrate Jean's life and the fact it was the first wedding to take place at Peterborough City Hospital was a fitting and lasting tribute to her memory.
Her husband David, 60, said getting married had been 'a dream come true for both of them' and thanked the staff for their kindness on behalf of the family.
The couple, Jean and David from Stamford, Lincolnshire, had been together for three years and were planning to get married in the summer.
But tragedy struck when Jean started to suffer from a bad back in July and a CAT scan taken just after Christmas confirmed that a shadow on her lung was cancerous.
Jean's son Andi Sheldon said the news had 'shocked them to the core'.
He said: 'It just seemed surreal, just a few weeks ago mum had cooked Christmas dinner for everyone and no-one had a care in the world and she was laughing and joking as she always did.'
Her condition deteriorated quickly and she was rushed into hospital just over a week ago where doctors found blood clots on her lungs and secondary cancer in her bones.
Doctors on the oncology ward warned the family that Jean was not going to survive and David asked them for their help to organise the wedding.
Staff signed the paperwork for the registrar to conduct the ceremony at hospital and ensured that Mrs Nicholls was kept as comfortable as possible as David rushed to arrange the ceremony.
Andi, 30, said: 'I sat with mum and she held my hand and said she loved me and told me "don't be sad" and I told her my 13-month-old son Bailey had taken his first steps and she smiled.
'She was famous for her sense of humour and she even joked with nurses that she would try not to be too late.
'She really was hanging on for the wedding but even then we had to bring it forward to 6pm as the doctors warned us it was now or never.'
In her hospital bed, surrounded by her children, Andi, Jenifer and Sharron and their spouses Becky, Nigel and Mark as well as David's three grown-up children, Debbie, Amanda and Richard, she summoned up the strength to put the ring on David's finger and whisper 'I do'.
Andi added: 'Everyone was crying - family, doctors and nurses but David managed to be strong for the service although his voice was shaking.
'She passed away soon after and we are all pleased her last moments were happy. We feel we have a gained a new family and this has really brought us together.'
Dr Seth Makin, from the oncology ward, said: 'Mrs Nicholls was a truly lovely lady and everyone on the ward wanted to make sure both her and her husband received all the help we could give.
'The civil ceremony was a private affair, with their family surrounding them. Our sincerest condolences go to Mr Nicholls and the couple's friends and relatives at this sad time.'
0 comments:
Post a Comment