Hospice holds man's wedding at five hours' notice

Bob and Liz Holling got married on Wednesday

A cancer patient has had his "final wish" granted, after a hospice organised his wedding with just a few hours' notice.

Bob Holling, 74, of Keighley, had been due to exchange vows with his fiancée Liz on Saturday, but he was too unwell for the wedding to go ahead.

Instead, staff at Sue Ryder Manorlands Hospice rallied to arrange a full wedding on Wednesday after obtaining a special licence from the archbishop.

Mrs Holling, 63, said it was "such a fantastic day; it was out of this world".

'So kind'

She said: "Bob has cancer and recently it has rapidly progressed, and he was admitted into Sue Ryder Manorlands Hospice on Tuesday 30 July.

"We were meant to be getting married on Saturday, but it has become quite clear that he wouldn’t be well enough by then.

"I’ve been his carer for so long, so to be able to be just his partner - and now his wife - is amazing.”

The couple were able to invite 25 guests, with a cake and decorations being provided at five hours' notice.

Sarah Bottomley, service director at the hospice, said: "At Sue Ryder we are person focused in everything we do - if someone comes to us and says their last wish is to be married, then we will pull out every stop to make it happen and for it to be as perfect a wedding as it can be given the circumstances.

"Everyone came together to make this happen.

"A request was put to the archbishop to grant a special licence, we arranged for Bob to move to another room with more space so the couple could invite 25 guests.

"Our catering team made a cake at short notice, and the ward clerk even sorted decorations for the room."

Mrs Holling added: “Everyone has been so kind, it’s been so moving - everything the team at Sue Ryder has done, you can tell they do it from the goodness of their hearts.

"I am so grateful to Sue Ryder for being able to grant Bob's final wish."

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