After Hugh Bromley was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer after feeling chronic back and stomach pain, her daughter, Hayley Bromley, organized and celebrated her wedding in one of the rooms of the Brock Unit at the Niagara Falls Hospital. Her father, unable to walk, was able to watch her nuptials. Ten staff members from the Emergency Department and the Brock Unit were able to put together the nuptials in less than 24 hours.
While the chronic pain was the reason Hugh attended the hospital, he was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer back in February after performing a CT scan. While it wasn't possible to perform surgery, they did recommend chemotherapy to extend Hugh's life as much as possible. Unfortunately, Hugh didn't respond well to the first chemotherapy session, which led him back to the hospital just two weeks later.
After the healthcare team discovered Hugh had internal bleeding, there was nothing else to do but palliative care. That is when her daughter Hayley, who envisioned her wedding a year from there, told the nurse to help her organize an impromptu wedding. After all, her father's only wish was to be able to walk her down the aisle.
An Impromptu Wedding
Along with the staff members, Hayley was able to secure her dress and shoes, flowers for the wedding, a photographer, and even an officiant. She said: "I couldn't believe how much everyone cared." She added: "With everything I was going through, I didn't have the capacity to (plan) it myself. They thought of everything. All I had to do was show up the next day."
While her father was unable to walk her down the aisle due to his health condition, he was able to watch the nuptials. Jen Law, Clinical Manager, recalls: "It was just so meaningful to see the family unite around a tragedy and to be able to support the family going through this."
Hayley told Niagara Health: "My dad got to see me in a dress and we had our dance. Everyone was so helpful and nice. If they hadn't done what they did, that day wouldn't have happened. You could see how much they cared."
Hugh Bromley passed away peacefully at home on June 16, 2024. He was 49 and his family, including Hayley, was there for him in his last moments.
