A bride whose father was rushed to hospital before her wedding made sure he could still share in her big day by visiting the ward in her wedding dress. Sinead Jackson, 36, was due to marry her partner Stephen at the Village Hotel in Hyde on October 10 when her dad, Leslie Healy, was admitted to Tameside Hospital with heart problems.
Leslie was told by medics on the hospital's acute cardiology unit (ACU) he was too unwell to attend the wedding, leaving Sinead devastated at the thought of missing out on the moment she had always dreamed of - having her dad walk her down the aisle.
Father-Daughter Dance on the Ward
Sinead, who lives in Dukinfield, had been waiting weeks for her dad to see her in her wedding dress. She visited him on the ward alongside her wedding photographer, Jen, with the help of staff on the ACU. Leslie, from Hattersley, was even dressed for the occasion - and the pair shared a father-daughter dance on the ward to 'This Dance by Scott Thomas Laughridge'.
"All the nurses and all the patients were crying," Sinead told the Manchester Evening News. Leslie also described the visit as a "very emotional day".
Heart Failure Diagnosis
Leslie was admitted to hospital after suffering from shortness of breath and heart palpitations. He is currently still undergoing investigations and is due to have follow-up appointments at the Heart Centre at Wythenshawe Hospital in the coming weeks. Sinead said an echocardiogram on October 8 - two days before the wedding - revealed he had heart failure, with 10 per cent blood flow to the heart.
Sinead said: "My mum rang me saying Dad had been for a scan. She told us Dad's got to stay in hospital and his heart's not good. He suffers from bad acid, so he didn't know it was his heart. He thought it was that. None of us knew."
Son Walks Bride Down the Aisle
On finding out her dad was too unwell to attend, Sinead said she couldn't stop crying. She told her mum, "If Dad can't come then I'm going in my dress." Although Leslie could not walk Sinead down the aisle himself, her son Maxy stepped in at his grandad's request. Sinead said: "My five-year-old walked me down instead. My dad asked him to walk me down the aisle instead. He walked me down the steps to his Daddy."
One of her uncles video called Leslie while she walked down the aisle so he could watch it all. The family are hoping to create another special memory together once Leslie has recovered. Sinead said: "Once he's feeling better I'm going to get in my dress again and he's going to get in his suit and we're going to do something with my dad and have more pictures. If we could, we would do the day again."
Stephanie Lomas, Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust ACU Ward Manager, said: "I am incredibly proud of my team for coming together to facilitate a special father-daughter dance for our patient who was sadly unable to attend his daughter's wedding. Through their compassion, dedication and commitment, the team helped create a meaningful and emotional moment that allowed the patient to share a treasured experience with his daughter."
