A couple who were worried the effects of chemotherapy treatment could ruin their special day pushed their wedding date forward four months, marrying in the same hospital the groom was receiving treatment.
James Lauricella was shocked when a routine blood test diagnosed the 37-year old from New York with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia – a fast-growing type of white blood cell cancer.
The news prompted Lauricella and fiancée Kimberly Mikucki to ditch their original wedding plans to marry in December, and instead decided to marry on Saturday in the hospital chapel.
Speaking to Daily News, Mikucki said:
“It was gorgeous. Not exactly the wedding I planned, but for what it had to be, it couldn’t have been any better.”
The bride had picked out her gown two weeks after the couple got engaged, so pulled her dress from her closet ready to go. Lauricella wore his best suit on the day.
The pair had originally thought they would marry in his hospital room, but after hearing about the couple’s plans, the nurses and social workers prepared the chapel and visitor’s room to surprise the newlyweds on their big day.
The local hotel where Lauricella and Mikucki were originally intending to hold their reception also donated food and refreshments for guests, while a local bakery provided a two-tier wedding cake.
Blown away by the generosity, Mikucki said:
“You always hear about what selfish people there are out there. To see the good nature of people and to have this turn out to be a really nice story and something that we will never forget is fantastic.”
Following his wedding, Lauricella now plans to undergo chemotherapy for the next eight months.
Images via NY Daily News
