In support of patients and their families, nurses from 9 South Atrium and 14 East Tower organized wedding ceremonies in two separate inpatient units at Rush University Medical Center. In both cases, the patient was the father of the bride and was receiving end-of-life care.
Knowing their father had such a short time left to live, each of the patient’s daughters approached nursing staff to request permission to hold their wedding ceremony in the inpatient units. Margie Banach BSN, RN; Kristin Fritts, MSN, RN; and Julianna DeWald MSN, RN, along with their teammates, were instrumental in coordinating these two life events, helping to realize the goals of their patients and families and understanding the importance of the parents’ blessing during a wedding ceremony.
In many cultures, the father’s role in a daughter’s wedding is central to the ceremony. The walk down the aisle emphasizes the importance of the father-daughter relationship and serves as a rite of passage, transitioning the bride from childhood to independent marital life. The father’s pride, love and devotion to his daughter mark a special moment of connection, highlighting their relationship and symbolizing the joining of two families, a bridge between past and future, marking the end of one chapter and the couple entering a new chapter of life.
At one of the wedding ceremonies, held in the Atrium in September, the bride wore her mother’s gown as she walked down the long corridor, ending at her father’s hospital room. Family and friends gathered to witness a beautiful ceremony led by an ordained officiant. In this intimate setting, music played, vows were exchanged, and tears of mixed emotions were shed.
In anticipation of the second wedding in January, DeWald and her teammates continued delivering complex care and providing emotional support to the patient and family while helping to plan the big event. A conference room was transformed into a beautiful chapel with row seating and a makeshift altar at the front, backdropped by floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Chicago skyline. Family and friends gathered for this beautiful ceremony, during which the father, bride and family realized a life dream.
DeWald received The RUMC Relationships & Caring Professional Practice Model Award during Nurse’s Week in May of 2024 for her commitment, compassion, and overcoming many hurdles to make this special life event possible for this patient, bride, and family.
