Staff at Roxburghe House in Dundee pulled out all the stops to arrange a last-minute wedding for a terminally ill man.
David Hughes and Kathleen Hughes-Murray had planned to get married on Saturday June 25.
However, with David’s declining health, staff at the palliative care unit suggested they move the wedding up.
So with just 24 hours’ notice, they prepared a wedding for the couple complete with balloons, flowers, prosecco, sandwiches, cake and an altar.
‘Enjoy the time you’ve got’
David, 64 and originally from Glasgow, was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer in March.
He was given between three and six months to live.
David said: “I’d been feeling odd and when I looked it up, I knew I had pancreatic cancer.
“It’s an extremely nasty and insidious cancer – there’s no signs of it and all of sudden it’s there.
“I took a view that I had a limited time to live and I just want to spend the time I’ve got with friends, family and colleagues and enjoy and have a laugh with them.
“People tend to find that my view is a bit strange sometimes.
“But it’s happening, you can’t avoid it, so why worry about it?
“There’s nothing I can do about it, so enjoy the time you’ve got.”
He was admitted to Roxburghe House at the start of the week as his health had deteriorated further.
‘It was more than I ever expected’
The couple married in the Sanctuary room in the unit on Thursday in front of a small group of friends and family.
Kathleen, 57, said: “It was beautiful, we didn’t expect anything like that.
“It was just how quickly things were able to get put in place. They decorated the room and even made a wee altar.
“A lot of the staff stood at the back and apparently there wasn’t a dry eye by the end!
“It was more than I ever expected.
“We also want to say thanks to the businesses – it’s amazing what they’ve done.
“Things like that make you feel special and like people are thinking of you, and in this time it’s just really important.”
David added: “We can’t praise the Roxburghe House staff enough.
“They went way above and beyond. It’s fantastic what the people here do.
“Staying here has been so peaceful and calm as well, it’s a wonderful place.”
During the ceremony, Kathleen said one moment made the day even more special.
She said: “I lost my mum last year in Roxburghe House on the day we were meant to get married.
“As we agreed to marry each other, this butterfly came out of nowhere and kissed me on the cheek.
“So I think my mother was there too.”
The couple also plan to throw a larger celebration at the weekend.
David previously travelled around the world, working in zoos in North America, Canada, Europe, New Zealand and Australia.
He eventually came to Dundee to work in a local wildlife centre.
The pair met at a mutual friend’s bar in 2007 when Kathleen returned to Dundee after living in London for 23 years.
Pamela Massie, who works at Roxburghe House, said: “Staff in specialist palliative care were delighted that David and Kathleen’s wedding went ahead and that we were able to sprinkle a little bit of wedding magic on their day.”
She also thanked Asda, Balloons Made For You, Morrisons Superstore, Broughty Ferry florist Williamson’s and Clark’s Bakery for their generous donations for the day.
