When a dying man’s wish was to marry his sweetheart, hospital staff in Teesside helped come together to organise a special ceremony before it becomes official.
Malcolm Gretton, 75, who is being treated at the University Hospital of North Tees, had a ceremony in the hospital’s chapel with his partner Maureen Draper today (Friday).
Mally – as he is known to friends and family – has been poorly for several months with cancer and, when his health worsened, he decided to pop the question in January.
The couple, who live in Hartlepool, decided this week – Maureen admits it has been ‘a heck of a week’ – to make arrangements to get married.
Though they could not set up the legal formalities to do this, they decided to hold a hospital ceremony anyway in front of staff and loved ones before making it official next week.
Maureen, who is 57, explained: “Mally has been my rock ever since we first met in 2016 – he is a wonderful man.
“When we found out that the cancer was terminal, getting married is something we both really wanted.
“When we told the amazing hospital staff what we wanted, they have done everything to make it happen.”
The team in the acute oncology unit and ward 38 and the chaplaincy team came together to organise a special service.
Maureen continued: “It’s been a heck of a week but we are both just so happy to have been able to share such a special moment with our friends, children and grandchildren.
“Soon we will make it official, which we can’t wait for.”
Sally McQueeney, trainee advanced clinical practitioner at North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust, who has helped care for Mally, said: “We are honoured to have been able to make this a reality for Maureen and Mally.
“Mally has been someone we have all been privileged to care for – and to be a part of such a special day really has been something we will all never forget.”