A Calgary man battling a terminal illness married his longtime partner this week in an emotional ceremony that took place inside the very hospital where he was staying.
Gordie Shaver has been inside the Peter Lougheed Center for almost a month. The 52-year-old has problems with his organs.
After receiving a hard-to-hear diagnosis on Monday night – which he will be lucky to go to on Christmas – his partner of eight years knew what had to happen.
“It’s always been on our minds, but this diagnosis really pushed the timeline back a bit,” said Amanda Morley-Shaver. “We said we just had to make it happen.”
The couple floated the idea of eloping earlier this year, but let’s just say things got awkward.
So on Monday, after talking to Shaver’s doctor, the idea seemed to go without saying: they were going to get married, one way or another.
“It’s about us and the love we’ve had over the years,” Morley-Shaver said. “That’s all I could have asked for, no matter how long we’ve been together.”
The newlyweds were joined by a handful of family members and some intensive care workers on site.
Alberta Health Services (AHS) staff helped the Shavers find a local celebrant and photographer, then got to work transforming the unit.
They decorated the walls, the patio and the hallway with flowers and candles.
One worker even donated a cake.
“Wherever you go in this hospital — not to mention especially here in intensive care — the care and attention is so amazing,” Shaver told AHS.
“They were just very committed to creating the most special day for us, which was pretty amazing to me,” Morley-Shaver added.
Registered Nurse Rianne Pater was the groom’s nurse on Wednesday.
“Everyone is so excited to have a happy time in our intensive care unit,” she told AHS. “I feel incredibly lucky. Gordie was talking about it this morning (and) said, ‘Life is so fragile and I want to enjoy every moment I have.'”
Morley-Shaver called it an unforgettable experience.
“When I met him, his love for life was overwhelming. He’s probably the most outgoing person I’ve ever met. We’ve had so many adventures together,” she said.
“I’m so proud of him and so proud to be his wife.”