Jemma’s Story

When Andrew, a patient on our Ward, shared his wish to marry his long-term partner Jemma before he died, we worked together to make their special day possible.

Jemma shares her story:

“Andrew was diagnosed with cancer in the summer of 2024 and had an operation a few months later. Afterwards, Andrew suspected that something was wrong, and long-awaited scans showed that his cancer had reoccurred or had not been removed entirely.

“He received a terminal diagnosis in September 2025. When this happens your care pathway changes. Lots of people were suddenly involved and Andrew was referred into St Catherine’s Hospice by his social worker.”

Support at home

“Initially, Andrew was supported at home by a nurse in the St Catherine’s Community Team. They visited fortnightly to assess his health, mobility and what support was needed.”

The nurse always asked: ‘How can we help?’, as opposed to saying, ‘This is what we can do’.

“It was after Christmastime that the nurse became concerned that Andrew’s mobility had rapidly gone downhill. She suggested that he go into the hospice for a short time so that they could see what they could do to help him.”

Care at the hospice

“When Andrew went into the hospice in February 2026, I felt a sense of relief that he wasn’t going into a hospital, which is a really poor environment for him.

“In the hospice, he had his own private room and garden, and the nurses came round regularly to check on anything that might be wrong.

“I was reassured because he was getting the support he needed in the hospice, rather than things taking a turn at home and then it would take a lot longer to get the support. It felt positive and it was a relief for both of us.”

Planning the wedding

“Andrew and I had been engaged for a long time, and getting married was something that Andrew wanted to do before he died. Our family were keen for us to have the wedding – I think it made everyone feel happier and more peaceful for us to be married.

“When he went into the hospice he spoke to Sue in the Wellbeing Team about whether it would be possible, and the team turned the whole wedding around in about one week. St Catherine’s did a lot, in a very short space of time.

“Andrew was involved in the planning as much as possible. He spoke to the nurses on the Ward and it buoyed him along – because they were so excited about it, too.

“All I had to do was arrange the paperwork at the registry office and St Catherine’s did the rest, which was really positive because my brain was full up enough! The effort that they made exceeded what we expected.”

The wedding day

“On the day, Andrew was able to be dressed in a suit and the staff sat him in a comfortable chair that could be wheeled into the room so that we could enter together.”

He was happy and amongst friends, which is the memory that our children and I have taken away from it.

“I have happy memories from the day and how beautiful the room looked. Everyone was catered for thanks to the kitchen team; there was a lovely buffet of food to choose from.

“You wouldn’t have known we were in a hospice, which was important for the children. Our guests were happy to be there, and Andrew was so pleased that everyone had made it, and that his wish to finally be married was fulfilled.

Even though there was sadness that we couldn’t get married how we had planned to originally, it was done so nicely that I will always have happy memories of it.”

Without St Catherine’s it wouldn’t have happened. It’s a wonderful option to have and I’m really glad it happened.

We can only provide expert compassionate care, and help families enjoy precious moments together, thanks to the support of our community. To find out how you can support our care, visit our How You Can Help page.