A COUPLE admitted to a Madrid hospital with Covid-19 have been married on their ward, with nurses helping to organise the ceremony.
Seize the (big) day: Fernando, 70, proposed to Rosario, 62, via WhatsApp after they were placed in separate wards, and nurses worked hard to make their wedding as special as possible (photo: Screenshot from news broadcast on TeleMadrid)
Rosario, 62 and Fernando, 70, had caught Coronavirus from the son they have in common and were admitted to La Paz hospital on January 23, both with a dry cough and a temperature of 39ºC.
They were then transferred to the Isabel Zendal hospital, where they were in separate rooms.
Both are expected to recover, although Fernando is on oxygen.
Whilst they were apart in the hospital, Fernando sent Rosario a WhatsApp message, proposing to her after 14 years together – and Rosario, of course, accepted.
Nurses decorated Fernando's room and helped arrange a priest to give the ceremony via Zoom, and remained in the ward to act as witnesses.
Rosario was then wheeled in and, after the 'I do', the bride and groom kissed, cut the cake the nurses had organised for them, and the new 'Mrs Fernando' threw the bouquet staff had ordered in.
One of the nurses, who is as yet unmarried, caught it.
A whole team of hospital staff, watching through a window, applauded when the priest pronounced them husband and wife.
Both were married in hospital gowns and the bride in a mask, although Rosario's gown was white, as was the crown of flowers employees had had made for her.
The wedding was broadcast on the regional channel TeleMadrid, where nurses' whoops and cheers could be clearly heard, and where staff were shown putting a bow tie on Fernando and saying to him, “we're going to make you nice and handsome today, because you're getting married.”
Rosario told reporters it had been 'hard' being split up when they were admitted to hospital, but that when she received her new husband's proposal via WhatsApp, it was 'the greatest joy ever'.
They were shown saying, 'I love you', to each other, and their eyes welling up as they exchanged their vows while a nurse held a mobile phone so the priest could unite them.
