Many couples dream of their wedding day. Usually, months and months of planning and excitement build up the point where you can hardly stand to be apart from one another. The dress is bought, the venue is scheduled, the flowers are chosen, the cake is ordered and the photographer is booked. It is an exciting time filled with anticipation to start a new life together. But when life gets in the way, that does not have to mean that a wedding cannot be just as beautiful.
Blair Young and his fiance had planned on a church wedding.
Pamela Tripps and Blair Young have been together for 23 years. For months, they had planned on having a church wedding at the Grand Prairie chapel.
A place filled with all of their friends and family gathered around to see the couple start their life together as one. But Blair was diagnosed with stage four colon cancer. He had to be hospitalized due to complications of the disease and had to stay in the Intensive Care Unit. The heartbreaking news dashed their hopes of having the church wedding they dreamed of. But complications with cancer did not ruin the couple’s spirit or their love for one another.
“She’s the best thing that happened to me,” says Blair, “livin’ life without her is like livin’ life without myself.”
The hospital staff decided to help.
The wonderful and thoughtful team of nurses and staff at the Medical City Arlington Neurotrauma Intensive Care Unit nursing team heard about Blair’s canceled wedding, and they decided they wanted to help. They brought in flowers and a wedding cake right up to his hospital room.
The Medical City Arlington Chaplain, Myron Jones, officiated the ceremony, standing by Blair’s hospital bed. A large group of nurses and family and friends of the couple gathered around the room filling it with bubbles. Pamela stood next to Blair, holding a bouquet of flowers. Blair, unable to get up from his bed, had a corsage pinned to his shirt.
Tears filled the couple’s eyes as they were pronounced “husband and wife”.
The couple is filled with emotion as Chaplain, Myron Jones, introduces the couple for the first time as man and wife. The group of family, friends, and nurses cheer as the chaplain says that Blair may now kiss his bride.
“We did it!” says Pamela as she holds up her bouquet of flowers.
The nurses wheel in a wedding cake as they congratulate the happy couple. Lying in the hospital bed, the new couple shares a piece of cake and enjoys their time together.
“Never, ever give up on love,” says Blair “even if you think it’s taking too long, just wait and it will come. Friendship comes first. Love comes second. And without friendship, there is no love.”
Their ceremony was beautiful. Not because it was fancy or glamorous, but because of the love they share for each other and the community and family that helped them celebrate.
Check out their story below!
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