Hospital staff form guard of honour as terminally-ill colleague marries sweetheart of 40 years
A woman with terminal cancer has married her sweetheart of almost 40 years thanks to her colleagues at Walsall Manor Hospital.
Maureen Goring, a support services assistant at the hospital, was diagnosed in November with stage four lung cancer, but recently found out that it has spread to her brain.
Her wedding to partner Steve Clarke was therefore brought forward by 11 days, with a ceremony arranged in just five hours by staff at the Walsall hospital.
Thanks to their support, Maureen and Steve tied the knot with smiles and tears on Tuesday in a ceremony on Ward 29.
The bride was dressed in a peach-coloured dress bought by her eldest sister, Ann-Marie Bellerson, and wheeled from her bed to the ceremony by palliative care clinical nurse specialist, Sarah Griffin.
Aerosmith's 'I Don't Want To Miss a Thing' played out as 57-year-old Maureen entered Ward 29 to wed her sweetheart of nearly four decades.
The two witnesses at the ceremony were Sarah Griffin and Maureen's other sister, Chris Clarke.
Deputy registrars Julie Moore and Kate Lloyd performed the nuptials and Edd Stock, chaplain at Walsall Healthcare, said a blessing before several dozen guests – mostly Maureen’s colleagues.
“It’s a great day,” said Maureen, who kissed 60-year-old Steve after they said their vows and exchanged rings. “It surprised me how quickly everything came together but it’s been fantastic. I feel contentment.”
Maureen’s popularity was shown by the 40 to 50 staff who formed a guard of honour down the corridor then showered the couple with confetti after the service.
The groom said: "Whenever I bring Maureen in to hospital it’s like a visit from royalty. The way they put everything together for us to get married was unbelievable."
Maureen's eldest sister, Anne-Marie, said: "It’s been heart-breaking but it’s a lovely thing to do – sad but happy. Ward 16 staff got her dressed and she looked special."
Sindy Sandhu, support services supervisor at the hospital, added: “Maureen has always done an amazing job – her standards of cleaning are excellent and she leaves everywhere spotless. It’s been wonderful to share her wedding day.”
The ceremony was organised by Sarah Griffin, the Walsall Registry Office, and Walsall Healthcare’s Well Wishers charity, which organised support from local businesses and supplied cake and sandwiches.
Fiona’s florist of Walsall provided Maureen’s bouquet, while Morrisons of Willenhall provided a buttonhole for Steve - a security officer at Screwfix in Fradley - and flowers for the cake.
Spar at Walsall Manor supplied snacks and Maureen’s colleagues in Support Services and Ward 4 clubbed together to buy a bow for her hair, a veil and another wedding cake.
The venue was even more poignant as Steve has undergone nine operations himself and recovered from sepsis, with Maureen nursing him back to full health.
Maureen had been due to return to her and Steve's Bloxwich home on Wednesday. “I always said I’d get married at 65 but we were chatting a few days after Maureen’s diagnosis and we decided to do it now,” Steve said.
Both Bloxwich born and bred, the couple met as 21 and 18-year-olds respectively as groups of friends who went out socialising together in the town, until one night when Maureen’s friend said to Steve: “Well, are you going to ask her out, or what?”
They finally decided to tie the knot more recently. Maureen had been due to start radiotherapy on April 17 but she was taken to hospital on Sunday and they decided to bring their plans forward.
