Wedding bells at Good Hope
Published on 25/10/2023
A beautiful wedding ceremony was held on Ward 29 at Good Hope Hospital as Roger, a patient on the ward, married his partner of 38 years, Kathleen.
The couple, from Kingsbury near Tamworth, tied the knot in front of their daughter, Anita and their two grandsons, James and Ben. Anita’s daughter, Hannah, dialled in from Cork in the Republic of Ireland to celebrate the occasion.
Roger and Kathleen met at work in 1985, at what is now Continental, based at Gravelly Industrial Park. Roger noticed Kathleen’s high-heeled shoes featuring a red leather bow on the back…although Kathleen says it was her cheeky attitude which first attracted Roger’s attention! The couple have been together ever since.
Roger’s hospital room, where he was receiving end-of-life care, was decorated beautifully with balloons, red and white flowers and wedding banners. A local registrar kindly conducted the official ceremony at short notice, after which the family celebrated with staff on the ward.
Sarah Potter-Concannon, Ward Manager, said, “We were all so privileged to share this beautiful moment with Roger and Kathleen. I would like to thank Sandra, who made the flowers, Lynsey, Ian, Nicole and the rest of my amazing team for making it happen so quickly. Special thanks to Catering and our Estates colleagues for helping us with various trips to collect items to make the occasion so special – it was a real team effort. All of us send our love and best wishes to Roger and Kathleen – we hope we have helped you and your family make some very special memories.”
The newlyweds and their family added: “We would like to thank all the staff on Ward 29 - they went above and beyond, bringing the family some light in a dark time, exceeding anything we could have expected. We would also like to give a special mention to sister Lynsey, who was amazing throughout Roger’s time at Good Hope, showing incredible compassion and genuine care. A credit not only to the ward, but to her profession as well.”
