A SWINDON woman has spoken of the emotional rollercoaster which saw her married and widowed in the space of three days – and her gratitude to staff at Great Western Hospital who organised her wedding in a matter of hours, right down to making confetti and providing wedding rings.

“I feel shell-shocked, I don’t think it’s really sunk in yet,” said Jan Cogswell, 55, of Frobisher Drive.

A month ago she and her partner of five years Mark, 53, were looking forward to being married on February 17; three weeks ago he was diagnosed with a stomach tumour and eight days ago they learned his illness was terminal.

Last Tuesday they were married and on Friday morning Mark slipped away with Jan by his side.

“The consultant Dr Gray said Mark did not have much time and Mark said it was a shame as we wanted to get married but there was nothing we could do,” said Jan.

“Dr Gray and Laura, the other doctor with him, said ‘There’s always something we can do’.”

When Jan got to the hospital the next day at 10am, a taxi had been arranged to take her home, get the paperwork needed for a wedding ceremony, and bring her back. Staff had arranged for a registrar to come and marry the couple at 3pm.

”The doctors must have told the nurses on Dove Unit and everyone pulled together to make it happen,” said Jan.

Some staff went to work with hole punches to make confetti; Asda at West Swindon donated a wedding buffet with cake and champagne; someone found an iPod with Mark’s favourite Queen music on; and buttonholes were bound together using surgical tape. Hospital volunteers acted as witnesses and the medical photography department took pictures and printed them the same day.

“They even supplied wedding rings – there were things I didn’t even think of which they arranged. It was amazing,” said Jan.

Unfortunately as preparations were underway, Mark’s condition deteriorated – Jan later learned doctors feared he wouldn’t survive the day – and the wedding was brought forward to 1pm.

But he rallied and despite the circumstances, Jan said: “It couldn’t have been more perfect. I can’t thank everyone enough. Words fail me, there’s not enough you can say to the people involved.

“Afterwards Mark said he had got everything he had always wanted.”

Members of the family who managed to rush to the hospital at short notice included three of Jan’s five children and her daughter-in-law Sarah Simpkins.

Sarah, 36, a finance manager at a doctors’ practice, said: “GWH couldn’t have done more for us. They deserve medals for what they did. It’s a bit of a bitter sweet story but it left us with amazing memories of a man with a heart of gold.”

Mark died on Friday at 6.40am.

“It was an awful outcome but what happened happened in the best way for him, without pain and losing his dignity,” said Jan. “And it was made easier by the wonderful staff.”

Teamwork was the key
“IT WAS a very emotional day for everyone involved,” said Vicky John, senior sister on Dove Unit, the ward which pulled the wedding together in under four hours.

“There were real extremes of emotion. It was a lovely thing to happen – we want the best for our patients and realtives – but it’s sad it had to be under these circumstances. I’m proud of my team and I hope it instils faith back in the NHS. It’s not all bad.”

Vicky and her colleagues began planning the wedding at 9am on Tuesday, initially thinking it would be happening on Friday.

But Mark’s condition meant time was running out and they had to bring everything forward.

Vicky praised the way everyone from different departments worked together – the hospital’s charitable fund agreed for wedding rings to be purchased and the chaplain, hospital volunteers and palliative care nurses got involved.

A call to Asda in West Swindon brought event co-ordinator at the store Jan Kilby to the hospital with donated champagne, cake and flowers.

“She was superb, no flapping, an absolute star,” said Vicky.

Jan made button-holes as staff made confetti with hole-punches. A member of staff had Mark’s favourite Queen on their iPod, a docking station was borrowed from a doctor and Carillion which runs GWH’s services sent up a buffet.

“I’m impressed with how all the teams worked together, no one threw up any boundaries,” said Vicky.

“Afterwards I asked Mr Cogswell if we could do anything else and he said ‘I have got everything I wanted now'."