A bride’s wish came true after her poorly father was able to see her get married at his hospital.
Neelam Akhtar married Harun Ahmed at Royal Blackburn Hospital, changing from an intimate ceremony at their home in the town so her father could attend.
Neelam was distraught at the prospect of her father, Abdul Ghani, not being fit enough to leave the hospital to attend.
Neelam, an only child and a carer for her dad, appealed to the manager of ward B2, Vicky Ramsden, for help.
Vicky said: “On Friday at 3pm – the day before her wedding – Neelam asked me what I could do.
"She wanted her dad to be at her wedding to give her away. It’s her dad – I completely understood.”
Fazal Hassan, the trust’s Imam, arranged and gave permission for the couple to be married at the hospital’s spiritual care centre.
Staff from the ward dressed Abdul in his smart outfit and used one of the specialist stroke chairs to take him to the centre so he could watch his daughter marry.
Vicky, her colleague Salima Akuji, a staff nurse, and Vicky’s 10-year-old daughter Bessie decorated the centre pink to match the bride’s dress.
The official ceremony was conducted by the couple’s own Imam and attended by 20 guests, who watched the star of the show give his thumbs up for his daughter to marry.
East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust staff joined them afterwards to toast the happy couple with pink fizzy drinks in plastic champagne flutes.
Neelam said: “I have no words. When my father got taken into hospital a few weeks ago, I was so stressed about how he would make it to my wedding and Vicky and her team made it happen.
"It was perfect and I can’t thank everyone enough.”
Vicky, who has worked at ELHT for 20 years, said it was the first time she had witnessed a hospital wedding request so the father of the bride could attend.
One of the guests even travelled from London and was amazed at the dedication of the staff involved.
Vicky added: “We were grateful for everyone’s help and support, especially the trust’s Imam, and it was something nice and different that got all my team talking. It made us very happy.”
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