4-year-old cancer patient "marries" favorite nurse in hospital ceremony
ALBANY, N.Y. -- The bride wore a white dress, black leggings, a veil and carried a bouquet of pink and purple flowers. The groom wore a tuxedo T-shirt with a boutonnière, and had to get on one knee to take pictures with his bride, who is all of 4 years old.
In less than 24-hours, the Melodies Center at Albany Medical Center in New York pulled off a "wedding" ceremony for their childhood cancer patient, Abby, who had been telling her mother all week she wanted to get married to her favorite nurse, Matt Hickling. Abby has Pre-B Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, according to her Facebook page.
On the "Amazing Abby" Facebook page, Abby's mother wrote that she had told Matt of Abby's wish, and she received a text back soon after from the nurse saying, "We're planning a wedding tomo..."
And that's exactly what happened.
Matt wrote on his personal Facebook page, that with the help of staff they were able to pull the ceremony off. He got "married" to his patient in front of most of the Melodies Center staff, his patients mother and others lucky enough to be around observing. Abby was walked in over rose petals, and given away by her mother.
"Our patient shyly asked me to marry her," he wrote. "I didn't hesitate to say yes, I got a HUGE hug and we sealed the deal with ring pops being placed on our fingers!"
Abby's mother wrote that her daughter said to her that, "This is the best day ever!"
So today I got to help make a 4 year old leukemia patient's "wedding" to her favorite nurse Matt Hickling happen at the...
Posted by Lori Ciafardoni on Thursday, July 16, 2015
"We are both in awe from today's visit and smiling ear to ear," she said.
The ceremony included wedding cake, donated flowers from a local florist, Enchanted Gardens, and even a special toy car reading "Just Married" that Matt pushed Abby in before returning for photos and cake.
"This day will hopefully be one our patient and her family can always look back on and smile when days are tough!" Matt wrote on Facebook. "I know I will!"
Abby's mother thanked everyone on her Facebook page, especially, Nurse Matt.
"Blessed to have all these people in our lives," she wrote.
CBS News reached out to Matt and Abby's mother through Facebook, but neither were immediately available for comment.