Woman with terminal cancer gets dream wedding on hospital ward

A woman with a terminal cancer diagnosis married her partner of 15 years in the hospital where she is receiving palliative care - and her horses even made the ceremony.

Maggie Heginbothom, 68, who has advanced liver cancer, thanked staff at Ysbyty Gwynedd in Bangor for organising a wedding ceremony on Monday, just two days after her partner Mark proposed.

The horse lover and former clinical scientist with Public Health Wales described hospital staff as being "like family to me".

"It was so beautiful and I honestly never thought it was going to be possible, especially seeing both my horses there as well," she said.

Heginbothom, originally from the Vale of Glamorgan, was admitted to hospital nearly three weeks ago after becoming unwell while riding one of her horses.

After her partner proposed from her hospital bedside, staff on the Tegid Ward volunteered to pull together a celebration that included flowers, decorations, a harpist, food, cake and Heginbothom's beloved horses Ozzy and Quiosque.

The horses were brought to the hospital by Pen Llŷn Stud and Riding School, where Heginbothom rode and competed for many years.

"From the beautiful decorations to all the little touches that made our wedding so special, I cannot thank them enough," she said.

Ward manager Rachel Parry said her team were determined to get things right.

"On the morning of the wedding, we transformed Maggie's room with white sheets and fairy lights to create a beautiful space for the ceremony, while the relatives' room became a reception area," she said.

"Everything ran like clockwork, and some of our colleagues even came in on their days off to help make it happen.

"It was such a special and emotional occasion.

"There wasn't a dry eye in the room, and it was particularly lovely that some of the other patients Maggie has got to know during her time on the ward were able to join the celebrations."

Matron Ceri Newell said it was an example of the compassion and dedication shown by NHS staff.

"Nursing is about so much more than treating illness," she said.

"It is about compassion, kindness, humanity and recognising that sometimes the most important thing we can do is help make someone's wishes come true.

"What the team achieved for Maggie and Mark in such a short space of time was truly remarkable, and I could not be prouder of every single person involved.

"Everyone went above and beyond, working together to create something incredibly special for a couple going through such a difficult time.

"Moments like these remind us why we do what we do, and I am so proud of what the team achieved."