Telegraph reports that Illinois couple Destini Schafer and Brandon Thomas had planned to get married in Jamaica this month – but their plans were foiled when they discovered Ms. Shafer had stage four stomach cancer – and were told she was too weak for chemotherapy.
Her nurse, Ashley Shipley-Lovekamp, decided to take matters into her own hands and organise a dream wedding for the couple.
They held it in the courtyard of the Illinois Memorial Medical Center.
Her nurse organised for 50 of their friends and family to attend the wedding, and had the dresses, tuxedos and jewelry donated from local businesses.
She was helped by other nurses from the oncology ward. Another nurse on the floor altered the wedding dress the bride had chosen for herself.
The couple’s children from previous relationships, Schafer’s son Jacob, 6, and daughter Bella, 3, and Brandon’s daughter Nyna, were the flower girls and ring bearer.
The pair happily cuddled their 8-month-son Noah at the reception.
They also had a cream-and-green wedding cake with pink flowers. “Everyone should get the wedding they deserve,” Shipley-Lovekamp told The State Journal-Register.
“You never would have expected them to go out of their way like that,” Thomas told the local paper, “The nurses are just awesome and really here for her.”
“Today is the best day I’ve had since my diagnosis,” Schafer said. “I can’t begin to describe how thankful I am.”
Miraculously, Ms. Shafer’s health improved after her wedding and she has since undergone two rounds of chemotherapy.
She found out she was strong enough to have the treatment just five days after her dream wedding.
Amazing isn’t it?
