A newly wedded couple have thanked their “amazing” team of nurses, after they were able to have their special day at Inverclyde Royal Hospital.
David and Sandra Collins tied the knot during a ceremony at the IRH on May 5, organised by the staff at the Greenock site.
David, 55, from Port Glasgow, was admitted to the H South ward in March, for extensive surgery and bowel cancer treatment. After hearing the difficult news that he would require palliative care support moving forward, David decided to ask his partner of 16 years Sandra to marry him.
With the help of the H South team, an area of the hospital was transformed into a wedding venue, giving David and his bride a day to remember.
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David, a former painter and decorator, said: “The staff were absolutely brilliant, they made the day so special for us both. It didn’t matter that it was in a hospital, the way they made the place look was incredible. They went so above and beyond to make our day special for us.
“It was a very emotional day, when I was getting moved to the room I remember all the staff clapping me but I wasn’t too nervous. We went against tradition a bit though and I was the one who kept Sandra waiting as I was busy writing a card for her.
“Thankfully the staff managed to look after her until I was ready. When I was waiting for Sandra to come through the doors I just remember thinking how excited I was to be marrying her and how much I was looking forward to it.
“The minister who married us was from the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, he said he had never married a couple who were smiling so much and that was such a nice thing to say. It was just such a special day.”
After hearing wedding bells, the staff quickly got involved to help the couple in any way they could, organising balloons, flowers, arranging the room and ensuring family and friends could be part of the ceremony.
Admin assistant Sandra, 49, said: “The staff were amazing, we cannot thank them enough. They couldn’t do enough to help us get everything sorted. They transformed the room and were just so happy that they could help us on our big day.
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“The team have been great, not just with the wedding but with how they have been with David during his time at the IRH, they clearly care about him very much and we feel part of the close-knit family here.”
Clare Hynes, Senior Charge Nurse at Inverclyde Royal Hospital added: “All the staff have a great relationship with David and when he asked us how he would go about getting married we wanted to do everything we could to help.
“The staff did a great job in contacting different companies for flowers, balloons and transformed the room into a lovely setting for David and Sandra’s big day. David felt so comfortable knowing that the H South team were helping to organise it all.
“It was a very emotional day for all of us and we are glad we were able to give David and Sandra a memorable day.”
