
Lucy and Nick had always planned to marry, but it was only when Nick became ill that they decided it was now or never. Lucy bravely shares her memories of their wedding and of how the hospice went above and beyond to help her family to create cherished memories together.
“They always say to marry your best friend; and that’s just what I did. Nick was such a character. From the day I met him I knew he was something special. We had a life filled with laughter, adventures, and an incredible amount of love. Together with our wonderful children, Thomas, 18, and Ava, 10, we have been so blessed and I have such wonderful memories of our time together.”
Nick’s diagnosis came as a huge shock
“Nick was 45 when he was diagnosed with incurable bowel cancer. We’d been on holiday, and he’d been experiencing pain in his hip and ribs and was very tired.
We assumed his fatigue was down to his strenuous job as a Pipefitter and that the pain he was getting was wear and tear along with suspected gall stones. We couldn’t have imagined that this was what we would be faced with.”
Katie was everything we needed
“In the days following Nick’s diagnosis, we met Hospice Nurse Specialist, Katie. We were so overwhelmed and had no idea where to turn, but Katie was with us every step of the way. She really is the person I’d want in my corner every single time – I don’t know what we’d have done without her.
It was when Katie came into our lives, that Nick began talking about marriage again. We’d discussed it so many times in the past, but life just always seemed to get in the way. But when he was admitted to the hospice, we knew we had to do it.”
Our wedding day
“When we spoke to the team at the hospice about our plans to get married, they couldn’t do enough for us, and helped us have the most beautiful wedding day. They took all of the stress away from wedding planning so we could continue to focus on spending our time together, as a family.
We were married at the hospice on 13th April, with our parents and our daughter by our side. It was the most beautiful wedding. Each little detail was taken care of, and our entire family was made to feel special. The hospice team are truly wonderful, and I feel so lucky to have such special memories from our wedding.”
Making cherished memories
“In the days following our wedding, Nick’s health improved and we were treated to the most amazing wedding reception in the conservatory at the hospice which was beautifully put together by the fundraising team for our family. Just a few days after this we were able to go home together – something we never imagined possible. We had two more months of adventures and making memories together as a family. We went for meals, to see family, and even went on holiday to Cornwall.
He passed away two months after our wedding. I’m so proud of Nick, and I’m so proud to be his wife. Despite everything he went through, he never complained. But that was just Nick. He was so strong.
Every person that we met at the hospice was lovely, and I know that if it wasn’t for the care they provided, we wouldn’t have had those final two months together; a time that meant so much to us.
Having the opportunity to make so many lasting memories meant everything to us, and we couldn’t have asked for more from Wigan & Leigh Hospice.”
Published October 2024