Something wonderful happened in our Regional Hospital in Cranbrook on Friday, February 17, but it didn’t start out that way.

It began when Martin Morawski from Toronto came to the information desk to get directions to a room on the second floor. The story he had to tell was not a very happy one.

Martin and his fiancé Susan Krimmel were at Panorama Mountain Village in Invermere scouting out the perfect spot to get married.

They found it, but while skiing down the mountain to celebrate their find Sue fell, suffering a left tibial plateau fracture. This is a serious fracture which occurs at the upper surface of the tibia or shin bone.

The Invermere Hospital transferred her to East Kootenay Regional Hospital in Cranbrook, where she underwent observation, was fitted with a brace and prepared for surgery.

Since they had informed Justice of the Peace Andy Stuart-Hill of their intent to marry they decided not to wait and to get married in the hospital before Sue underwent surgery.

They were lucky enough to have Wilma Nightingale as a nurse attending to Sue. Wilma quickly went home to pick up one of her dresses for Sue so she could be married in style and not a hospital gown.

The flowers came from the Auxiliary Gift Shop and her wheelchair was outfitted with a “Just Married” sign as she was escorted to the hospital chapel for the ceremony.

Nurse Wilma and Auxiliary volunteer Sandy Zeznik were thrilled to be asked to witness the touching and beautiful ceremony.

The bride cried and the groom and witnesses had tears in their eyes as the couple became husband and wife.