BOSTON — It wasn’t the wedding they had envisioned, nor the guests they had invited, but for a local expectant couple, exchanging vows in a hospital room was the perfect backup plan.
Yazmine and Mayron had rushed to Brigham and Women’s Hospital in September after Yazmine began having contractions five weeks before their baby boy was due.
The parents-to-be had planned to get married that day, but they wouldn’t make it to city hall for their nuptials.
“They felt, for themselves, it was very important to be married prior to the birth of their child,” said Nora Scharf, Nurse Director for Brigham and Women’s Center for Labor and Birth. “So, it was a very upsetting time for the family, for the couple. But then, when the nurse heard that they really were intending to be married that day, she said, ‘Wait a minute, because we’ve done this before.’”
Dr. Gregory Woods, a Brigham resident, is also a wedding officiant. He stepped in and performed the ceremony for the couple.
Yazmine’s father dropped off her wedding dress and Mayron’s suit, and the two exchanged vows as the care team witnessed the ceremony.
“It just brought a joyfulness that was really exciting for the family,” Scharf said. “It was very heartwarming for the staff to know we were able to make those wishes come true.”
Yazmine’s medical team was able to stabilize the baby the next day, and the couple soon went home. But they would return a few weeks later, ready to give birth to their baby boy, Kaleb.
“We all knew they were out there waiting to come back to have their baby,” Scharf said. “And so, when they did come in, they were welcomed back.”
After a short NICU stay, the family is home, healthy and happy. Their experience is proof that doctors and nurses provide much more than medical care alone.
Scharf said her team has helped arrange weddings before, but until Yazmine and Mayron, they hadn’t had a ceremony on their unit in several years.
“We do whatever it takes to make the birth experience the best possible. But there are other things we sometimes have to take care of, such as, having a wedding,” Scharf said, with a laugh.
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