On a Tuesday, July 13, a patient room in the ICU was transformed into a venue fit for a wedding. The groom: a young patient with brain cancer; the bride: his fiancé. The two were in the process of planning their wedding when the groom was admitted to Pennsylvania Hospital and diagnosed with brain cancer. They then moved up the wedding so it could take place before his surgery.
After learning of the couple’s plan to marry, the ICU staff set the wheels in motion to make it a special day for the couple. Nurse manager, Eileen Levinson contacted Food and Nutrition to provide a small cake for the intimate affair and a snack tray for the family and friends in attendance. “It was their wedding day,” said Heather Hartlin, RN, the night shift charge nurse who spread the word about the wedding. “We wanted to do everything we could to make it a wonderful day for them.” Several nurses and social worker, Allison Klugman purchased decorations and decorated the patient’s room for the event. The wedding, performed by the bride’s father, was a wonderful celebration of the couple.
The patient remained positive and in good spirits in spite of the situation. “He was always ready for a good laugh,” said Ernesto Ledonne, RN, who cared for him on many nights.
The ICU team went above and beyond the call of duty to make his wedding day special and help raise his spirits even higher.
