Father with coronavirus at Cone Health taken off ventilator in time to speak at daughter’s wedding
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GREENSBORO, NC ( WGHP) — patient at Cone Health Green Valley with coronavirus was removed from a ventilator in time to speak at his daughter’s wedding on Saturday, according to Cone Health.
Mark Thomas says his daughter is “his world” and wrote his Father of the Bride wedding speech to her four months ago.
He was diagnosed with coronavirus in July and spent more than five weeks on a ventilator.
The day before the ceremony, the hospitalized Graham man no longer needed the ventilator and surprised his daughter by speaking via Facetime at the wedding.
“Through daily phone conversations, our team got to know his wife, who told us how important his family was to him,” said Brent McQuaid, MD, Green Valley’s Chief Medical Officer.
The Green Valley team helped Thomas dress up for the big day. He donned a dress shirt (not a hospital gown) and a bow tie with a yellow rose boutonniere.
McQuaid stood by his side, holding the phone connecting them to the nuptials – himself wearing a bow tie amid his personal protective equipment.
“Though we are first the patients’ caregivers, we become their family. So it was fitting after fighting for his life for five weeks that we take time to celebrate this important day for his family, but at the same time celebrate his will to live,” McQuaid said.
The Green Valley team decorated Thomas’ intensive care bay with “Father of the Bride” décor, bought reading glasses so he could deliver his speech to his daughter and toasted the vows following the pronouncement of marriage.
“This expression of compassion fits naturally into the behavior our team shows the patients who are admitted to Green Valley campus,” Campus President Debbie Cunningham said. “I am so honored to work with people who demonstrate so much caring. Thank you for creating a life-long memory for this family.”
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