DICKSON, Tenn. (WTVF) — When Caroline learned her grandmother had been admitted to TriStar Horizon Medical Center just one month before her wedding, she made a decision without hesitation: the wedding would come to her grandmother.
Caroline and Wesley had chosen May 16, 2026, as their wedding date after getting engaged in November 2024. From the start, Caroline had one condition — her grandmother, affectionately known as Missy, had to be there.
"My relationship with my grandmother is more like a best friend," Caroline said. "She is my grandmother, but she and my grandfather were such an active part of our lives...my grandmother and I are two peas in a pod. I've always been told that I'm her made over."
Knowing Missy's health could decline, Caroline had already planned to move the wedding up if necessary. When Missy was admitted to TriStar Horizon, Caroline turned to Wesley and said they were getting married there.
"I didn't want to look back and wonder what might have been if something happened," Caroline said.
She approached Missy's nursing team with a simple ask — was it possible to get married in her room or the hospital chapel? What happened next went far beyond what she expected.
The nursing team immediately got to work, transforming the West Pavilion lobby into a wedding venue. Flowers were arranged, furniture was repositioned, and members of the day shift volunteered to stay late to help get Missy ready. They remained by her side throughout the ceremony, making sure she was comfortable and stable for every moment.
One of the most meaningful moments came when Missy was able to sign the marriage certificate herself.
On May 16 — the date Caroline and Wesley had originally planned — Missy had already been discharged from TriStar Horizon and attended her granddaughter's wedding.
Young or old, we all love to play board and card games! Those games become even more important when you are indoors and don't have the ability to get outside, like patients in a hospital. Austin Pollack shares the story of students in a Nashville family who have helped re-launch the Red Wagon project to collect games for patients at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt.
- Lelan Statom
