Nurse appeal leads to creation of end-of-life ‘wedding service’
A wedding day service for end-of-life patients has been set up by a hospital trust, after some of its nurses started a hugely successful appeal for local support to kickstart the idea.
Natasha Steels-Webb, from North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust, launched her public appeal to help develop a wedding day service for end-of-life patients about three months ago with a colleague.
“It is difficult to put into words what a difference these weddings can make”
Natasha Steels-Webb
Since then, the critical outreach nurse practitioner has been inundated with donations and offers of help – receiving around 200 emails from members of the public and wedding service businesses.
The trust noted that, while planning a wedding for many couples could take months of preparation, for patients nearing the end of their lives “time is precious”.
As a result, Ms Steels-Webb and her colleagues had created a portable ‘wedding box’ to help make the day as memorable as possible for patients tying the knot.
However, from a handful of decorations and posies, the idea snowballed to the extent that the team now has a collection of silk flowers, bouquets, vases, tiaras, chair covers and even a wedding gown.
In addition, numerous offers from local businesses to provide services at short notice meant Ms Steels-Webb was now able to compile a directory of useful contacts, according to the trust.
It said this directory offered everything “from gowns and outfits to hair and makeup, flowers, balloons, wedding cakes, photographers and much more”.
Ms Steels-Webb said: “Myself and a colleague decided to create the wedding box after a patient we were caring for had become 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,” noted Ms Steels-Webb.
“Although we were able to fulfil their wishes, with help from all the relevant teams, we felt that we could do something to make future weddings even more special,” she said.
She added: “We have been overwhelmed by the generosity of so many people whose kindness means that this can now happen for patients from now on.”
“It is difficult to put into words what a difference these weddings can 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 – not purely because it is your job, but because you truly care.”
The trust noted that the team had now decided to close the appeal for physical donations due to limited storage capacity.
Natasha Steels-Webb with wedding posies
Natasha Steels-Webb with wedding dress
