LINDSEY Sweeney was determined that dad Derek’s cancer would not prevent him being with her for her wedding day.
When Covid-19 put Sheffield on lockdown, though, it looked like Lindsey and partner Jon’s plans for one final happy family occasion would never happen.
But that’s when our chaplain Mike Reeder stepped in and set the ball rolling to ensure Lindsey would have Derek by her side and that the wedding would go ahead as planned.
“Jon and I have been talking about getting married for more than ten years but just never got round to it,” said Lindsey, who is a nurse at Barnsley Hospital.
“But with dad’s cancer getting more serious, we realised now much we wanted him to be here to celebrate with us.
“We spoke to Mike the St Luke’s chaplain on the Friday and by the Monday everything was booked.”
A small wedding party at Sheffield Town Hall consisted of just the bride and groom, their son David, Lindsey’s mum Trish and Jon’s mum Margaret, with Derek there to give his daughter away.
“Mike had spoken to the Ambulance Wish Foundation to help make it all happen and my dad’s consultant said dad would be able to attend because it was an exceptional circumstance,” said Lindsey.
“Everyone wants their dad to be with them at their wedding and thanks to all the people at St Luke’s who helped - including everyone from the nursing team to the receptionists - the registrar and the ambulance drivers, it really did happen.
“I think dad was a bit blown away to be honest at how quickly it had happened but I know he was very proud to be with me.”
After the ceremony it was back to Lindsey and Jon’s home in Stannington for a quick pizza and cup cakes prepared by a family friend in place of a traditional wedding cake before before Derek went back to his room at the hospice.
“In some ways it was a bit surreal, a couple of hours to get married and then back to the hospice but it was what we wanted,” said Lindsey.
“Mike is amazing and so are all the people at St Luke’s who made this day so very special for us.”