Bedridden groom marries wife in hospital

Scotty, Jackie McNeil wed at Miami Children's Hospital

MIAMI ā€“ Thanks to a family friend and a generous community, a couple who has spent the last seven years together was able to hold their wedding where the bedridden groom battles a rare form of brain cancer.

Jackie McNeil's face lit up when she described the day she married her longtime boyfriend, Scotty, at Miami Children's Hospital.

"I felt like a princess and he looked perfect that day," said McNeil. "We just knew that day would be magical and it was."

It was a bitter sweet one for her and her husband who has spent the last 17 years battling a rare form of brain cancer.

"He's had countless surgeries, radiation, chemotherapy -- oral and IV. You name it," McNeil said.

Despite years of treatment, his condition recently deteriorated and with no time or money to plan their wedding, a family friend reached out on Facebook to make their dream day happen.

"People take for granted what it really means to get married and this was a couple who were getting married for all the right reasons," said wedding planner Shelley Cameron. "They just love each other unconditionally."

Donations poured in and the couple said their "I do's" inside the hospital walls on Sunday. Hair, makeup, flowers and more were provided free of charge.

"It was still a fairy tale wedding in the hospital," said Cameron. "You could just tell they both meant the world to each other."

For McNeil, it was a day she will never forget with the man she has learned so much from.

"Scotty's the man of my dreams because he has taught me so much about life," said McNeil. "People thank me for what I'm doing but I'd do it all over again for him."

McNeil said her husband is no longer undergoing chemotherapy treatment or radiation because his body is too weak. He's currently on a trial vaccine she's hopeful will help him improve.

"He's my best friend and the only person that I want to spend the rest of my life with," said McNeil.

Doctors are now waiting to see how Scotty will react to the new treatment.

Photos and video courtesy of Traci Burke Photography.


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