An impromptu wedding spreads a little joy at PeaceHealth’s Eugene hospital

A patient at PeaceHealth’s hospital in Eugene, Ore., had one final wish before she died—to see her son get married.

Her wish came true with the help of a PeaceHealth chaplain and a group of resourceful caregivers.

Transported in a wheelchair to a secluded area on the fourth floor, the patient watched as her son Dylan and his girlfriend Josilyn pledged their love to each other through good times and bad.

"I wanted her to be part of it."

“It’s a beautiful story and very unusual--not very many people get married in a hospital,” Dylan shared after the ceremony. “We were planning to do it farther down the road, but my mom’s health got so bad, and I wanted her to be part of it.”

The couple had enlisted Cindy, a family friend, to become ordained online so Dylan’s mom could be there as they signed the wedding certificate.

But much more lay in store. Cindy mentioned the family’s intentions to Chaplain Chris Joy, and he offered to help in any way he could, including providing her with a wedding script. Katy Lemieux, house coordinator, marshalled resources to add special touches to the ceremony. With just a few hours’ notice, caregivers Andrew Coats and Nicole Vickers helped with decorations, ordered a bouquet for the bride and procured individually wrapped slices of wedding cake for the family and everyone working on the unit.

Meanwhile, Dina Tuck, a CNA on 3 Medical, found some special clothes for the patient to wear and got her ready for the big event. Both Dina and Katy cared for her throughout the ceremony.

Getting ready

“The most beautiful part of this experience for me was the way the CNAs and nurses pampered the patient as they got her ready for the wedding,” Chaplain Chris remarked.

“I was also very grateful to be part of this and will never forget how good it felt when I was able to tell the patient and family that they had been granted an exception to the visitor policy allowing Cindy, Dylan, Josilyn and her two young daughters to participate, and the hospital would provide flowers and wedding cake,” he said. “Cindy and the patient both wept with joy when I told them this, and the caregivers involved were all moved by the generous care the hospital was providing.”

The word spread, touching hearts

Looking back at the whirlwind wedding, Cindy commented, “It just kind of played out the way it was supposed to. It spread through the hospital. One person told one person and it touched each and every person’s heart as they shared the news. It was the neatest thing to watch.”

For newlyweds Dylan and Josilyn it will always be a day to remember.

“It meant a lot to me,” Josilyn shared. “That was the day I became part of a different family and my kids got to be there. It was very special. As we walked through the hospital, we kind of felt famous because people stopped us and said, ‘You’re the couple that just got married.’”

“It spread joy,” she said. “The hospital always sees death and sadness, so it was nice to spread a little joy.”