"Nothing can get in love's way": ICU colleagues help couple marry at TriStar Centennial

Not even an ICU stay or Winter Storm Fern could stop William and Marlene’s wedding day.

At TriStar Centennial Medical Center, the ICU department came together to help fulfill one of William’s final wishes. Surrounded by the caregivers who had supported him around the clock, the U.S. Marine Corps combat veteran married the love of his life in his hospital room shortly before transferring to hospice care.

William and Marlene met as teenagers in the 1970s, then went their separate ways as adulthood unfolded. When they reconnected decades later, the connection was instant. They spent the last 13 years building a home and a life in Chapmansboro, Tennessee. William liked to say that Marlene had become his “high school sweetheart, after all.”

When William was admitted to the hospital, he looked at Marlene and told her quietly, “We should’ve gotten married.”

Marlene didn’t hesitate before replying: “We still can.”

The couple hoped to marry earlier in the week, but Winter Storm Fern swept across Middle Tennessee, closing county offices and making roads impassable. For a moment, it looked as though the wedding they had talked about for years might not happen.

But with help from the TriStar Centennial care team, love found a way.

Colleagues from across the hospital coordinated quickly. A hospital chaplain stepped in to officiate. Nurses decorated William’s room, arranged two slices of cheesecake as a wedding cake, and made sure family could attend by FaceTime. Music played softly as the couple exchanged vows, surrounded by the caregivers who had been at William’s bedside day and night.

In a room normally defined by monitors and clinical urgency, a tender, intimate celebration unfolded.

“It’s never too late for love,” Marlene said. “Nothing can get in love’s way.”

The TriStar Centennial team was honored to help the couple share a moment they had waited more than a decade to experience. It’s a reminder that even in the most challenging circumstances, love remains steady and resolute.