On Wednesday, staff at San Luis Obispo's French Hospital Medical Center organized a wedding for one of its patients in just 24 hours.
Tomás Hernández, a 26-year-old patient at the hospital battling Stage IV cancer, married his fiancée, Kassandra Salcedo, during a ceremony inside the Swanson Family Chapel.
French Hospital Medical Center officials say a team of medical staff jumped into action to coordinate the wedding in one day after Hernández expressed his wishes to marry Salcedo. The couple has been together for over 10 years, according to hospital officials.
“He’s my everything,” Salcedo said in a press release. “I will be there for him for all of my life. He’s the most important person in my world and I will always be there to support him and love him.”
Staff members reportedly worked to acquire rings for the ceremony and reached out to the San Luis Obispo County Clerk-Recorder’s office to arrange the marriage certificate.
Another staff member officiated the wedding while the Nutrition Services team procured a cake, sparkling apple cider, and celebratory champagne flutes, according to the hospital.
The French Hospital Medical Center Foundation arranged for a Spanish-speaking singer to perform at the ceremony. Officials say staff from French Hospital’s Hearst Cancer Resource Center also coordinated to have Hernández's mother travel from Mexico for the ceremony.
Monica Ruelas, the Supervisor of Environmental Services at French Hospital and a key contributor to organizing the event, said she was happy to fulfill the couple’s wishes.
“Seeing his face when he talks about how much he loves her and how important it is for him to do this – we had to make it happen,” Ruelas said in a press release. “That’s what it’s all about – our patients and making sure we give them everything that they need.”
"If it wasn’t for the nurses and everyone here, we wouldn’t be married today," Hernández said in a press release.
