Man stricken with meningitis marries bride at Jackson Memorial Hospital

James Brown's girlfriend decided to have him flown to U.S. for treatment

MIAMI – Jackson Memorial Hospital was the site of a wedding Wednesday for a couple who were almost torn apart by a disease that can be fatal.

The couple were living abroad when the groom came down with meningitis. The bride brought him directly to JMH and now they're living in wedded bliss.

James Brown was Skyping to friends in Honduras who couldn't be there for the hospital wedding.

"I'm numb. This is incredible. What the hospital did for us in so many ways," Brown said. "I came here in a coma."

A sudden case of meningitis knocked the business owner off his feet and left him in a coma, until his longtime girlfriend, Eva Meiningsih, decided to have him flown to the U.S. for treatment.

"Thanks to God and our blessings and people praying for us," Meiningsih said.

Of course, Brown is now on the mend, yet still in a wheelchair, but his big wish was to marry his sweetheart right away.

"I took them to the courthouse last week and we got the marriage license, and I said, 'Why don't we do it? Let's all get married,' and we did," said rehab therapist Kelly Messett.

And so they pulled it off -- nurses and doctors turned a hospital conference room into a wedding chapel. Meiningsih walked down the aisle, cherishing the moment that almost didn't happen.

"I feel very, very happy because it's my wish come true," Meiningsih said.

At one point, the bride was serenaded with a song from the groom, a token of their love that's lasted 10 years.

Follow Terrell Forney on Twitter @TVTerrell

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About the Author

Terrell Forney joined Local 10 News in October 2005 as a general assignment reporter. He was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, but a desire to escape the harsh winters of the north brought him to South Florida.

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