The special boxes include decorations and bunting that can be used in a ceremony at short notice.
By Emma BaughBBC News, Cambridgeshire
Helping with wedding wishes – critical outreach nurse practitioners Lois Kendall and Natasha Steels-Webb
Staff at two Cambridgeshire hospitals have created special boxes filled with donated wedding memorabilia, to help end-of-life patients « fulfil their wedding day dreams » at short notice.
The boxes at Peterborough City and Hinchingbrooke hospitals contain items such as decorations, bunting and flowers that can be used in a ceremony.
« It is difficult to put into words what a difference these weddings make, » said staff member Natasha Steels-Webb.
« You can see the appreciation. »
Ms Steels-Webb, a critical outreach nurse practitioner in Peterborough, said she and her colleagues decided to create the boxes after a patient they were caring for became very unwell, and « it was clear she was not going to recover ».
« She had been with her current partner for many years, but they just hadn’t got around to getting married and this was something they both wanted, » she said.
« We felt that we could do something to make future weddings even more special with decorative items, artificial flowers and balloons on standby for such an event. »
‘Make a difference’
People have donated various items for the boxes and staff are looking to provide a directory of cake-makers, photographers and other businesses that could be called upon at short notice.
Wedding dresses and decorative items are also on the hospitals’ wish-list of donations.
Ms Steels-Webb added: « It is difficult to put into words what a difference these weddings make, but you can see the appreciation in the eyes of the patient and their loved ones that you have been able to make a difference. »
North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust, which runs both hospitals, said: « For many couples, planning their dream wedding can take months of preparation, but for others time is precious, and the teams are helping end-of-life patients fulfil their wedding day dreams in hospital. »
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