SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) – A local family and hospital staff held a heartwarming marriage service at the University of Utah Hospital on April 28, 2022.
Emberlie and Dallen Smuin were engaged and planning their wedding like any young couple when Dallen’s mother was injured in an accident. In order to include Dallen’s mom in this special ceremony, they canceled their planned wedding date and decided to have a small service at the hospital where she could attend.
According to the University of Utah Health Facebook page, when staff at the hospital found out about the impromptu ceremony, they sprung into action. The post describes how staff members “braided the patient’s hair and even made a wedding cake for the couple.”
In an interview with ABC4, Dallen commented that when considering other options for his mom to attend their wedding such as Zoom or Facetime, he said “Nope, not gonna happen. You will be there. I just really have always dreamed over being there. So I wanted her there.”
Emberlie said that at the ceremony “there were a lot of tears and a lot of emotions. I couldn’t be more grateful that they were so understanding and so helpful in such a short amount of time.”
Meredith Reid, senior nursing director at U of U Health said that it “was a pivotal moment for Dallen’s mom, and we wanted to be as helpful as we could for this event.” Reid says that teamwork throughout the wedding throwing process made it a success.
The post then concludes by asking viewers to congratulate the newlyweds on their special day. The comment section on the post is flooded with positive words and affirmations from loved ones and strangers familiar with the story.
This heartwarming story is a reminder of the lengths that healthcare workers will go to in support of their patients and their loved ones, even at the tail end of a global health crisis.’
Dallen’s mom is scheduled to return home tomorrow, unless the situation changes.
