We had a gentleman admitted a couple of weeks ago with reoccurring Stage 4 colon cancer. He was given the terminal diagnosis on admission to the ninth floor. The patient and his significant other have been together for 25 years but, due to their previous marriages, had decided they would not get remarried; however, the patient and his significant other were worried about what would happen to her after he passed away. The patient was retired from the military and wanted to make sure his benefits would cover her. They decided they wanted to get married before something happened to him.

Our case manager Jenn worked with the couple to get their marriage license through the county courthouse. Since the patient was unable to physically leave and go downtown, a liaison brought the license to the hospital. We took the patient downstairs, and they signed their license. The team also contacted our hospital chaplain, who agreed to come up and perform their ceremony in the patient’s room later that afternoon. The manager of the gift shop, helped me put together a wedding bouquet, found her something “new and blue" and and we received help to make a veil from a headband and white tablecloth. Kelli, the manager from the ninth floor, made a bow tie for the groom out of tissue paper that matched her flowers, and the gift shop manager helped Jenn make a boutonniere. We took the bride into our waiting room and made a dress with bed linens. The doctor had also purchased a small picture frame as a wedding gift and a blue rustic cuff bracelet for the bride. The doctor offered her wedding song, and we walked the bride down our north hall to marry her groom. The patient/groom’s face was priceless when she walked into the room.

Yesterday, the patient was discharged to the hospice house to spend his last moments with his family by his side.