Screen grab from Facebook/Yvonne Lamas
Raul Hinojosa knew he did not have much time left to live, but he was determined to tie the knot with the love of his life before he goes.
The 33-year old was admitted to Baptist St. Anthony’s Hospital in Texas, USA after suffering from lymphocytic leukemia and a fungal infection in his throat and lungs since 2012.
After his body refused to respond to multiple treatments, doctors informed him that he would most likely die in the following days.
Despite his tragic diagnosis, Hinojosa remained keen on fulfilling the promise to marry his 34-year-old fiancée Yvonne Lamas.
“I want to marry her,” he told one of his nurses, according to a New York Post report. “I want her to be mine.”
The pair have reportedly been saving for a fairy tale wedding up until Hinojosa got sick about four years ago. He initially proposed to her in 2007 and already has four children with Lamas.
However, his declining condition meant he could not be permitted to leave the medical facility, which led hospital staff to create an impromptu wedding to fulfil his wish.
Through the help of a nearby courthouse, the staff managed to expedite their marriage license, while the hospital’s cooks baked a wedding cake.
A family member of Lamas loaned her a white dress, and one of the hospital’s directors lent the groom a suit jacket and tie, the report said.
“He had never seen me in a dress, and I had never seen him in a suit,” the grateful wife said. “I saw him in that suit, and he looked so handsome. I thought, ‘Wow!’”
Once everyone was ready, hospital staff along with the bride and groom’s friends and family gathered in Hinojosa’s room to witness them recite their vows.
“She changed my life around,” Hinojosa described his bride before sealing their marriage with a kiss.
Hinojosa died in his sleep over the weekend, just 36 hours after the heartwarming ceremony. He is survived by their three daughters and their 9-year-old son. Khristian Ibarrola