A&E staff help Phoebe and Karl celebrate their big day

There were congratulations to Phoebe Dobson and Karl Cooper who got married at Royal Stoke’s Emergency Department.

Staff went above and beyond for the couple, organising their big day in just a few hours.

Phoebe, 27, tied the knot with fiancé Karl, 30, who works at Staffordshire Children’s Hospital at Royal Stoke, surrounded by close family and friends.

Staff transformed a side room into a space fit for a wedding complete with decorations, food and fizz.

The couple from Stoke-on-Trent have been together eight years.

Phoebe, a wellness coach for a mental health service, said: “I have Osteosarcoma which is rare type of bone cancer. It started at the bottom of my back and has moved up to lung area. Sadly it’s non-curable.

“The last couple of days have been a bit of a whirlwind. We were supposed to be getting married on Tuesday but that is looking highly unlikely, so have decided to get married today and have a blessing ceremony for wider family and friends after my hospital stay.

“Karl and I got engaged on my graduation day at Chester University in 2018, something which he’d promised to do, but I still didn’t think it was going to happen. He did it in a quiet place in the Cathedral as I said to him, if you’re going to do it I don’t want it in front of everybody! I thought he’d gone to the toilet, but there he was. It was beautiful how he did it.

“I’ve been at UHNM quite a few times before with my cancer treatment and  low immune system which left me open to a number of infections and every time the staff have been amazing.

“The staff here in the emergency department who have been arranging and creating all of this for us have been brilliant and so accommodating trying to help as much as they can. Their manner has helped me feel calm and not an inconvenience. Our NHS staff are really doing great at the moment and the best they can. This has filled me with a bit of joy which I haven’t had for a bit.”

Staff from the Acute Medical Unit (AMU) also specially decorated a room in preparation to receive Phoebe after the ceremony.

Phoebe’s mum Julie, who also works as a nursing assistant at Staffordshire Children’s Hospital at Royal Stoke said: “ Today has been absolutely fantastic. Without the support of my colleagues at UHNM I wouldn’t of been able to get through all the obsticles and whirlwind of a journey with Phoebe. They have gone above and beyond with their support for my family and couldn’t ask for any more with what they’ve done. This is the real NHS that the media and politicians don’t always see.”

Jo Allen, Emergency Department Matron added: “It was a real team effort as staff from across the Emergency Department rallied round to make Phoebe and Karl’s big day possible in just a few hours. We were delighted to help make it a special and memorable occasion and we all send our congratulations to Phoebe and Karl.”