Workers at University of Louisville Hospital in Louisville,
Ky., came together to grant a wish for a dying patient.
Hospital staff members call Evonne Lee an inspiration, so
they provided a moment of joy and celebration to the 52-year-old cancer
patient, who has a grim prognosis.
"Time is against her right now, and one of her wishes
was to get married before she was out of time," said University Hospital
nurse Melissa Pritchett.
That's all it took to turn University Hospital into a
wedding venue for Evonne Lee and Don Tyler.
"When we first met and we first got together, we
decided we're in it for life," Tyler said.
That promise was enough eight years ago, but getting married
became a priority when Lee was diagnosed with cancer last year. Don popped the
question Christmas morning, as Lee's health began deteriorating.
"During February, I found out I had leukemia," Lee
said.
She's been in the hospital since then, and doctors give her
weeks to live.
"I know I don't have long, but the time I have, I'm
just going to enjoy it," Lee said.
Tuesday was all about that. Lee is be unable to walk, so
hospital staff wheeled her down from her sixth floor hospital room to the
chapel.
The hospital chaplain performed the ceremony. Her body is in
too much pain to wear the rings, so she wears her new ring around her neck.
The standing-room only wedding included family and friends
and Lee's new hospital family.
"I've done many things on this floor but not wedding
planning," Pritchett laughed. She helped organize the ceremony.
"We knew we were working against the clock, so a lot of
the staff started bringing in all these wedding magazines," she said.
The planning brought Lee joy.
"She started getting really excited," Pritchett
said. "She told me what kind of dress she wanted and what she was looking
for and her vision of the day, and I was able to go to the local businesses and
say what she wanted."
Lee's hospital room and a neighboring room were transformed
into a reception hall.
Everything from the dress to the cake, food and flowers were
all donated by local businesses.
"I've performed two other weddings, but this was an
extraordinary experience where so many people came together to make this
happen," said University Hospital Chaplain Rev. Tara Reck.
Lee's daughter was able to fly in from Japan where she's
been living for six years. She recently learned of her mother's terminal
diagnosis.
"When they first told me, I was in a daze. My mother's
very young," Celeste Lee said.
She instead focused on the joy of her mother's wedding day.
"I've got my family here to support me. I have a new
family with all the great staff here, and I'm just praying for the best,"
Celeste said.
The best is what Evonne and Don hope for with what little
time she has left.
"No one really knows what day their time is up on
Earth. I'm just living one day to the next," Lee said.
The family says University Hospital will always be special
to them. It's where Evonne and Don got engaged, got married, and it will be
where Evonne lives her final days as a married woman.
Nearly a half-dozen local businesses pitched in to make the
wedding happen. Belmar Florist supplied the flowers, Pheln's Bakery donated a
cake, Gigi's supplied cupcakes, Goose Creek Diner offered reception food, Sarah
Hester Photography took pictures, and Rebecca's Boutique provided the wedding
dress.
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