An Emergency Wedding in MactanDoc

It’s not every day that we witness epic love stories. We are used to crossing paths with people from different walks of life. Patients come and go and they have their own stories to tell. But there are encounters that leave a mark in our hearts. The story of the Imbong couple is just one of those that we will never forget. Mario Jay, a government employee, was confined at Mactan Doctors Hospital last June 2018. He was already in and out of the hospital for treatments. He was diagnosed with liver cancer. As days passed by, Mario’s condition only got worse. His wife Leonila never left his side. She continued to be hopeful for a positive prognosis, but this never happened. Having observed the couple’s special bond, their primary attending physician Dr. Osita Nimis, suggested they might want an emergency wedding to renew their vows and relive their sweet moments. This idea was supported by their families.

Ex-neighbors

The lovebirds grew up in the same neighborhood. Theirs wasn’t an ordinary love story. Leonila got married to her first husband and had kids of their own while Mario chose to live the single life and was helping out his parents. Love no matter what will find its way. The first marriage of Leonila did not work and she cut ties with her former husband who later passed away.

After some time, Mario and Leonila met again. There was a spark of romance and the rest was history. They tied the knot in a civil wedding.

Magical experience

Unlike their civil wedding, the renewal of vows that happened at Mactan Doctors Hospital was something magical. Fr. Martin Chijioke Umunnakwe,CSSP, the hospital’s resident priest, presided over the wedding attended by the couple’s immediate families and was witnessed by the nursing head and medical staff. On their wedding day, Mario was so weak and couldn’t undergo further laboratory tests. Then again, love is stronger. He might have been weak and on his hospital bed, but he and his wife’s love was strong enough for them to renew their vows. The intimate ceremony touched the hearts of the few who attended. Dayslater, Mario died.This broke Leonila’s heart but ultimately gave her peace of mind knowing that her husband was now free from pain. She will forever cherish the kind of love they shared. Weeks after the passing of their father, the Imbong children visited the hospital’s Station 1A. With joyous smiles on their faces, the children brought cupcakes and handed out thanksgiving cards. They personally thanked all the medical staff for extending great care and kindness to their father until his last breath.