Patricia Aidem, Special to the Daily Press
It only took 24 hours and the help of staff at Providence Saint John’s Health Center to grant Nina Heard’s dying wish: to witness her daughter Noel walk down the aisle.
In October 2019, Nina was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer, also known as stage 4 breast cancer. She has been fighting the disease for nearly two years and recently was hospitalized for treatment at Saint John’s.
As Nina’s condition worsened, her family shared that her last wish was to see her daughter Noel married. So Noel and her fiancé Jacques Arzu decided to bring their wedding to Nina at the hospital.
On Wednesday, Aug. 18, Saint John’s caregivers got to work transforming the hospital’s chapel and board room for a wedding ceremony and reception venue. From valet attendants to the nursing team, everyone worked together to make the moment special for the bride and groom and their family.
One nurse created a bridal bouquet and boutonnieres for family members, while others helped Nina get ready before the ceremony. The Food and Nutrition Services department also catered the wedding, providing hors d’oeuvres, fruit, champagne and even a wedding cake.
Shortly before the afternoon ceremony, Nina’s nurses brought her to the chapel in her hospital bed. She and her husband Terry Heard held hands and smiled as they watched Noel and Jacques say, “I do.”
Several Saint John’s caregivers attended the wedding as well, looking on with joy and cheering as the couple were pronounced husband and wife.
