Life is precious – its so very important to cherish everyone’s heart, and support those who need your presence. It’s beautiful to see how everyone around this little girl got together to make her dream come true!
Abby, a little four-year-old girl going through cancer treatment, liked her favorite hospital nurse Matt Hickling a lot.
He tended to her with loving care for almost a year at the Childhood Cancer and Blood Disorders, where Abby was a patient.
Abby’s mother told Matt that her daughter was really happy to come for her treatment session that week because her little girl was “waiting” to go for her dream “wedding” with her favorite nurse. When Matt heard about this he was surprised, but then he went all out to make her dream a reality.
Matt and the staff at the hospital’s Melodies Center then went ahead and made all the arrangements for the unusual wedding within 24 hours.
At little Abby’s wedding there were ring pops, a cake and even a bright pink toy car, complete with a “Just Married” sign and tins cans tied to the back.
When Abby arrived, a white princess gown was ready for her to slip over her clothes while Matt was all dressed up in a dapper tuxedo T-shirt.
Abby’s mother walked her down an aisle while the Melodies Center staff hummed the wedding march. Two nurses acted as her bridesmaids. Rose petals were strewn in her path as she walked with a bouquet donated by a local florist.
The graceful walk down the aisle ended pretty soon as she ran towards Matt when he said “come here little one.”
Abby’s physician, Dr. Jennifer Pearce, formally officiated the wedding. “We are gathered together today in the Melody Center, to witness the marriage of Matt and Abby.” Abby was all smiles and said “that’s so sweet,” as Matt takes her hands.
And then, Abby took over from Dr. Pearce and asks Matt “will you marry me?”
“Of course I will marry you,” he accepted the proposal, sealing their vows with a hug and two ring pops.
“I didn’t hesitate to say yes,” said Matt his Facebook post, with the mother’s consent of course.
Later Abby got into a lovely pink “Just Married” toy car, which even had tin cans tied to the back and Matt pushed her around.
“We sealed the deal with ring pops being placed on our fingers! We then took a stroll down the hall in our “Just Married” car (Well I pushed) and headed back into the room for cake and photos,” Matt said.
Matt said one doctor even helped Abby slam cake into her groom’s face. The entire center’s staff presented Abby a frame with a picture of her and Matt, signed by all of them.
Abby said it was “the best day ever.”
The little girl continues with her treatment of chemo pills once a day and a spinal tap every three months. She still has a year and a half of treatment to go, her mother, Renee Sayles told WNYT. Matt and the rest of the center’s staff hope that the memory of the special day will keep her going and keep her spirits high for the rest of her treatment period.
“This day will hopefully be one our patient and her family can always look back on and smile when days are tough! I know I will!” wrote Matt.
“And smile when days are tough.”
Abby’s ‘best day ever’ – signed and framed by the center’s entire staff.