Medical staff went above and beyond to ensure that a two-year-old boy was able to attend his parent's wedding.
Little Zac Hardy was being treated at Sunderland Royal Hospital with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection. The condition usually causes mild cold like symptoms but can cause more serious illness in those very young.
His parents Ian, 38, and Tanya, 40, from Stanley, County Durham, had planned to tie the knot at Beamish Park Hotel. They looked into moving the service, but faced losing out by changing their plans.
As their big day approached, hospital staff started to organise for them to have their photos taken with Zac in his suit. However when consultant paediatrician Dr Cat Rose heard Zac could miss out on their big day, she did everything she could to get him to the venue.
Dr Rose worked alongside Sunderland hospital colleagues and the NECTAR team to arrange for an ambulance to take him to the hotel in County Durham for the ceremony. They also organised medical equipment and a trolley, which were decorated with balloons and bunting especially for the event. Her colleagues also added fascinators and other touches to their scrubs for the occasion.
Dr Rose visited the wedding venue ahead of the day to work with its management to make sure the room was set up ready for his arrival and to deal with any emergencies that might arise. The event was the first time Zac had been reunited with twin sister Olivia, as well as Tanya’s children Robbie, 16, Imogen, 11, and Henry, seven, since he had become unwell.
Ian said: "We thought we’d get some photos and that would have been nice, but then the consultant heard about it and said ‘This is what we’re going to do’. I just broke down, because I couldn’t believe it. Everybody was just fantastic. We can’t thank them enough for what they did for us. There wasn’t a dry eye in the place when they saw Zac there."
Zac, who was accompanied by his grandmother, spent a short time enjoying the celebrations after the ceremony on April 30. He then returned to the hospital in Sunderland, where his parents later joined him. Zac has now been discharged and is doing well.
Dr Rose's dual role between South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust and the North East and Cumbria Transport and Retrieval Team (NECTAR) gave her the chance ensure he could be there at the service.
She said: "I spoke to Zac’s family and said 'I think I can get your son to the wedding' but it involved a lot of thought and planning upfront. Everybody just did their bit and we all worked together. It was so nice to be able to get him there and be in all the photos.
"We had a lot of volunteers from NECTAR who wanted to help and lots of people played a part, so I’m grateful for their help. We’re happy Zac’s since been discharged and feeling much better."
Zac’s family have since dropped in flowers and chocolates to the ward to thank the team for their support.
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