An Ohio couple hosted an impromptu wedding ceremony at the hospital where the bride’s mother is being treated for stage four lung cancer so that she could attend, according to local affiliate WCMH.
Carley Auddino said she and her fiancé initially planned for a June 5 wedding, but as her mother, Taura’s, condition worsened in May, they decided to host a smaller ceremony at an earlier date so that her mother could be there on her special day, according to WCMH.
“She has fought really, really hard … when she was first intubated, they kind of were preparing us for the worst … really weren’t sure that she was going to pull through,” Auddino told WCMH.
Since her diagnosis of stage four lung cancer in 2018, Carley and the rest of her family have been fighting alongside their mother, uncertain of how much longer she may have. For Auddino, her mother being there as she walked down the aisle was more important than having the perfect venue, dress or guest list, Auddino told WCMH.
“She has fought so long and so hard and she wanted to be at this wedding, so I wanted to do everything in my power to do something that she could be part of,” Auddino said.
Auddino teamed up with her mother’s doctors and the patient experience team at St. James Cancer Treatment and Research Center at Ohio State University to put on a ceremony that would create a lasting memory for both Carley and Taura.
On the wedding day, Carley walked down the aisle in her white dress with a select number of close family and friends, including all four of her brothers. The ceremony was held in one of the hospital conference rooms, and Auddino’s mother was there by her side, watching from her hospital bed. Even a close childhood friend came to capture the moment on camera, which the friend told WCMH was an experience she’ll never forget.
Though Taura Auddino’s condition has improved since the wedding at the hospital, she still will not be able to attend her daughter’s large-scale wedding in person on June 5. Still, the Auddino family has planned to incorporate some special moments at the wedding dedicated to Taura. Auddino said they’ll be wearing their “Taura Strong” bracelets and they’ll even dance to one of her mother’s favorite songs during her fight with cancer.
“So, we’re going to be thinking of her during the whole thing and doing stuff kind of in her honor because we know she’s going to be there in spirit,” said Auddino to WCMH.