New York, Jul 20 (FP) : Four-year old Abby, who is battling cancer in New York, had an unusual wish. She wanted to “marry” a nurse, Matt Hickling, who had captured her little heart while taking care of her at the hospital. The staff at the hospital decided that this was a wish they could certainly fulfill.
This heartwarming video shows Abby, who is undergoing treatment for leukemia, marrying Matt in a ceremony complete with a ring, flowers, a wedding march song, and a hug.
According to a report in The Independent, Abby’s mother told Matt that her daughter was looking forward to being treated by him and that she wanted to marry him. It was a proposal Matt could not refuse.
He took all of 24 hours to accept the proposal and go down on his knees to the little bride, in a ceremony organized by him and the other staff members at the Melodies Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Disorders.
“You people are amazing. THIS is why we go into nursing”, a staff member at the centre said after thanking the people at the centre for getting the “wedding” done in less than a day’s time.
The video shows Abby’s mother leading her onto the “aisle”, wearing a white gown and holding a bunch of flowers in her hand. After the people in the room finished singing the wedding march song, Matt said to Abby, “Do you take me to be your husband?,” to which the girl immediately says yes.
Later, Matt wrote on Facebook, “I got a HUGE hug and 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.”
Comments on the video on YouTube ranged from gushing adulation to dismayed consternation. While some questioned why such a little was being “married” and called it disturbing, others pointed out that it was, after all, not a real wedding and was a way to make her happy. Some expressed sadness at a 4-year old child being diagnosed with leukemia and philosophized about whether this was proof of there being no such thing as a divine power. Meanwhile, a person who viewed the video said, “If this doesn’t melt your heart, then you don’t have one.”