WATCH: 4-year-old cancer patient ‘marries’ favorite nurse
So today I got to help make a 4 year old leukemia patient’s “wedding” to her favorite nurse Matt Hickling happen at the Melodies Center for Childhood Cancers at AMC. Thanks to Scott Wright and the team at the Enchanted Garden for donating your time and amazing flowers and to everyone at AMC that helped pull this together in less than 24 hours. You people are amazing. THIS is why we go into nursing.
Posted by Lori Ciafardoni on Thursday, July 16, 2015
A four-year-old girl who is battling cancer “married” her favorite nurse last July 17 in a ceremony complete with a wedding cake, ring pops, a pink wedding car, and an aisle filled with rose petals.
Abby Sayles is with leukemia and has been undergoing chemotherapy at the Melodies Center for Childhood Cancer of the Albany Medical Center in Albany, New York. She met nurse Matt Hickling while seeking treatment at the facility.
Abby’s mother, Renee, said her daughter and Hickling “have always had a great connection since the beginning of her diagnose.”
The little girl told her mother that she wanted to marry her favorite nurse. Renee then texted Hickling of her daughter’s desire and he obliged.
“This took me by surprise,” Hickling wrote on his Facebook page.
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The hospital staff planned the “wedding” in less than a day where they tapped the help of a local florist who donated roses for Abby’s bouquet.
On the day of the ceremony, Abby wore a white dress and walked towards Hickling who donned a tuxedo shirt and scrubs. Nurses acted as bridesmaids while a doctor led the ceremony.
Abby shyly asked Hickling if he could marry her. The nurse then answered: “Of course, I will marry you.”
This led Abby to hug her “husband.”
They then sealed their marriage by putting ring pops on their fingers and Hickling pushed Abby in their “just got married” car.
The video of the ceremony was posted by one of the nurses of the hospital on Facebook and has since gone viral where it was viewed more than 24 million views as of posting time.
“This day will hopefully be one our patient and her family can always look back on and smile when days are tough! I know I will!” the nurse said. AJH
