The afternoon of January 30 may have been a bitterly cold day in Peoria, Illinois, but hearts were melting in the 1700 unit of OSF Saint Francis Medical Center where the staff witnessed one of their patients marry her handsome groom.
“The way the groom looked at his bride, it was clear he was marrying the love of his life,” said Alina Shannon, Medical Photographer, and temporary wedding photographer for the day.
Setting the Date
The pair had been engaged for several years, but the bride’s recurring health issues made setting a date nearly impossible. During her most recent hospitalization, the couple discussed the idea of being married at OSF Saint Francis. When Vicki Kamhi, Palliative Care Counselor, told them that it could be done, they were ecstatic.
In the days leading up to the wedding, the patient was a typical nervous bride; worrying about the details of her ceremony. But luckily, the community of caregivers couldn’t wait to step in to make the wedding day a success. Vicki helped to coordinate the photography through Multimedia Services and reached out to Pastor Daniel Hoehne, a member of the OSF Saint Francis Pastoral Care team, to officiate.
“When I reached out to OSF staff, every one of them happily stepped up, gave of themselves, and helped make the couple’s ceremony special,” said Vicki.
The Big Day Arrives!
On the wedding day, the bride’s sister (and maid of honor) pampered her – styling her hair and getting her ready for the ceremony. Her sister had brought a nice dress for the occasion but the bride was in too much pain to tolerate putting it on. Instead, she opted for a decorative shirt with her new name shining on the front; something her sister had thoughtfully customized.
She wore a veil, provided by the Palliative Care team, that declared to all “I’m the bride, this is my special day.” The Palliative Care team also provided the headdress and basket of petals for the flower girl. Sister Jacqueline from Palliative Care presented the happy couple with a beautiful custom candle with their names and scripture decorating the pillar.
The wedding was held in the unit family room so members of the 1700 team, Natalie Fargher, Nick Lara and Donna Vanpool, worked to get the bride portable, with the least amount of tubes and drains that would restrict her movement. Since the bride was experiencing a lot of pain, Natalie and the floor educator had an idea that allowed the bride to be as comfortable as possible while in a sitting position. They borrowed a stroke stretcher from Neuro Intermediate, a piece of medical equipment that starts out horizontal but has sides that fold up to give more support when it transitions to a chair setting.
The bride had asked for a wedding procession so that she could follow her flower girl and maid of honor into the unit family room where the ceremony was being held. Natalie and Nick had the honor of escorting her down the “aisle,” carefully pushing the stroke stretcher to avoid jarring the patient.
When the groom slipped the ring onto her finger, the bride giggled, “I think I’m a little swollen. It doesn’t fit.” But the ring did go onto her finger where it remains today.
“It was a pure joy to serve alongside the 1700 team and all others who helped make the couple’s wedding dreams a reality,” Pastor Daniel Hoehne commented.
“It was clear that this couple didn’t expect everything that they received. They were touched by all the people that they didn’t know coming together to do this for them,” said Jim Carlson, Senior Photographer, Multimedia Services. “I could see that this was a moment of pure joy for the bride.”
Serving with the Greatest Care and Love
Obviously the 1700 team was one of the many who went above and beyond to serve this patient with the greatest care and love.
“The 1700 team always goes the extra mile to help a patient,” says Mary Beth Kiefner, RN, 1700 Manager. “This is our third wedding on the unit and it is clear the staff firmly believes in helping our patients’ dreams come true. Just making a patients day is our motivation. My staff, along with all of the departments and hospitals within our OSF family, truly lives the Mission, serving all of our patients – doing the extra is just part of our unit culture.”
The unit cheerfully donated the wedding cake and punch for the reception.
“It was truly an honor to be able to help this couple achieve their dream of getting married,” says Vicki. “That clearly is part of our Mission!”
Last Updated: February 9, 2022
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