MILTON KEYNES, England – British couple Elizabeth Kerr and Simon O’Brien had been planning to marry in June. Then Covid-19 struck.
Both contracted the disease and were rushed to Milton Keynes University Hospital in the same ambulance when their oxygen levels fell dangerously low.
Kerr and O’Brien became so ill that medical staff scrambled to organise a wedding before it was too late. When O’Brien’s condition got even worse, it was decided he should be transferred to the intensive care unit (ICU).
Even that did not stop them: Staff delayed his intubation just long enough for them to tie the knot.
“They told me that we wouldn’t be able to get married after all, because they were going to have to intubate Simon and put him under,” Kerr recalled.
“But they held off for another hour. And he just, just rallied in that time, just long enough for us to get married.”<img alt="" data-caption="Simon O'Brien, 36, looks on as his wife, Elizabeth Kerr, 31, reacts as she speaks, in a Covid-19 ward, days after they married in an ICU (Intensive Care Unit) when both had become critically ill with the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), and were uncertain of their chances of surviving, in Milton Keynes University Hospital, Milton Keynes, Britain, Jan 20, 2021.
PHOTO: Reuters” data-entity-type=”file” data-entity-uuid=”28525287-182a-4359-90e3-f99b09e7a137″ src=”/sites/default/files/inline-images/20210122_elizabethintears_reuters.jpg”/>With mortality rates now as high as 80 per cent in the ICU, a happy ending was far from certain.
But O’Brien’s condition improved and the newlyweds reunited on a Covid-19 ward where both are gradually recovering, although still receiving oxygen.
“We had to wait a few days for our first kiss,” Kerr told Reuters.
‘I do’
Love, Lungs, and Last‑Minute Weddings
When 31‑year‑old Phil Kerr and his 36‑year‑old fiancée Lisa O’Brien hit the hospital doors in southern England, the air was already packed with the scent of antiseptic and… heartfelt chemistry.
Double Trouble
Both patients had to strap on CPAP machines—those little miracle gadgets that keep your airways open while you sleep—because their lungs were surrendering to Covid‑19. One ward for each, they were given the same fate but with slightly different vibes.
- ↳ Kerr was already a nurse at the nearby Buckingham hospital.
- ↳ Lisa had a loose plan: a joyful wedding in June.
The Great Hospital Twist
During the fever‑ish hustle, nurse Hannah Cannon noticed the trembling urgency in their eyes. She asked the most non‑traditional question: “Since the sky’s looking a bit cloudy, how about we marry right here?”
It sounded like last‑minute wedding inspiration from a rom‑com, but desperate folks can do desperate things. The couple found themselves at a crossroads: brave the waiting room of a US style proposal—bischoff, or keep chugging the daily meds? The idea was that it could be their only shot at a “yes” within a realistic timeframe.
The Emergency Decision
In the end, we’d guess that love didn’t have to wait for a nice sunshine‑lit venue. The two slipped into a ceremony beneath the hospital’s fluorescent lights while the world inside that sterile room was filled with monitors, beep‑beep, and the soft hum of hopeful emotion.
Final Thoughts
It’s not often you hear about a couple who’re literally “admitting” to each other in the same sense that they’re admitting themselves into hospital care—yet this heartwarming gesture proves that the human spirit can keep going, no matter how thick the air.
<img alt="" data-caption="Elizabeth Kerr, 31, and Simon O'Brien, 36, hold hands in a Covid-19 ward, days after they married in an ICU (Intensive Care Unit) when both had become critically ill with the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), and were uncertain of their chances of surviving, in Milton Keynes University Hospital, Milton Keynes, Britain, Jan 20, 2021.
PHOTO: Reuters” data-entity-type=”file” data-entity-uuid=”dd5e5af6-8bb6-4d28-90b3-64a4ace23999″ src=”/sites/default/files/inline-images/20210122_elizabethandsimonholdinghands_reuters.jpg”/>Squeezing her husband’s arm and welling up with tears as she recalled the events, she said: “Those are words I never ever want to hear again.”
As staff across the hospital rushed to secure a wedding licence, O’Brien’s health worsened and doctors decided to move him to the ICU, reserved for the sickest patients, where he could receive mechanical ventilation.
They waited to intubate him long enough for the ceremony, which took place at 5.30 p.m. (1730 GMT) on Jan. 12, three days after the couple arrived in hospital.
Cannon was a witness and filmed the marriage for the couple’s family and friends. The catering department provided the cake.
“With lots of teamwork … we were able to give them a wedding, not necessarily the wedding that they would have initially intended, but certainly something positive, remarkable and memorable for them to really hold on to,” Cannon said.
Moments after saying “I do”, O’Brien was sedated and spent the night on mechanical ventilation.
Sitting next to each other and clutching hands after his partial recovery, the couple believe their survival was down to the staff’s quick thinking.<img alt="" data-caption="Elizabeth Kerr, 31, and Simon O'Brien, 36, embrace each other in a Covid-19 ward, days after they married in an ICU (Intensive Care Unit) when both had become critically ill with the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), and were uncertain of their chances of surviving, in Milton Keynes University Hospital, Milton Keynes, Britain, Jan 20, 2021.
PHOTO: Reuters” data-entity-type=”file” data-entity-uuid=”9a6b497f-a193-429b-8319-43c2fc0dbb69″ src=”/sites/default/files/inline-images/20210122_elizabethandsimonseatingnexttoeachother_reuters.jpg”/>Kerr said the terrifying experience of fighting for every breath made clear what was important: the people you love.
“That is everything that matters, everything” she said. “Absolutely,” O’Brien agreed, speaking through his oxygen mask.
Kerr added: “If we hadn’t had each other and we hadn’t been given that opportunity to get married, I don’t think both of us would be here now.”
For the latest updates on the coronavirus, visit here.
UKcoronavirusCOVID-19marriage
