CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (CLARKSVILLENOW) – Velma Hall lay in a Tennova hospital bed surrounded by family and friends.
The prognosis was not good as the 72-year-old woman battled COPD and Stage IV Lung Cancer. She’d began to decline and was moved to the Intensive Care Unit.
She was also starting to have issues with her heart, but what would happen as a surprise from her long-time love, Randy Hembree, her family and her team of ICU nurses would fill her heart with so much love and joy.
Hembree came to Hall’s three children and several of her 22 grandchildren and 21 great-grandchildren around 2 a.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 26 and asked for their blessing in marrying Hall right there in the hospital.
“Randy told me that he loves her so much, and doesn’t want anything to happen to her without her knowing how much,” said Chasity Lee, Hall’s granddaughter. “He told me that it would also help give her a will to fight to live because he can’t live without her.”
Hall wasn’t responding much and had been put on oxygen. Lee was able to wake her grandmother up so Hembree could ask her for her hand in marriage.
“He came back in at 2:30 a.m. and I was able to get her awake and he asked her!” Lee said. “That was the first time since being put in ICU that she responded to anything. She had on an oxygen mask and couldn’t speak. She shook her head, yes.”
Hembree’s proposal was a huge surprise and the wedding was scheduled for Thursday evening.
Lee said it gave her grandma a will to keep pushing and by her wedding day, she was able to have the full oxygen mask removed from her face and wear a smaller oxygen line.
Quick planning for the in-house nuptials was a family effort as calls were made to officiants. Montgomery County Commissioner Joe Creek agreed to do the special ceremony. The guest list consisted of all her family and many traveled as far as four hours to be in attendance. Her entire immediate family was present, Lee said.
The team that brought all the details together was the ICU Nurses, Lee said.
Pieces of wedding cake from the cafeteria were ordered for the newlyweds. Fresh flowers were gathered and tied with a bow to make a bouquet. One nurse worked with a notary and Hall’s daughter to quickly secure a marriage license. It took a lot of effort and a little Facetime to get the license ready.
“We let the nurses know and they were just as excited as we were,” Lee said. ” They were very into it. They were so friendly and kind and I’m grateful for them. They really went above and beyond to accommodate and help out.”
The nurses allowed her whole family to be able to witness the wedding. Three nurses were in attendance to watch the ceremony and also monitor Hall’s stats.
“… We are very grateful and thankful for them. I’ve told them over and over,” Lee said.
Lee curled her grandmother’s hair and applied makeup to the blushing bride.
Thursday, Feb. 27 at 5 p.m., the ICU room was ready for a wedding.
The couple, who met on March 3, 2003, said their vows and became forever bonded as one.
Lee said their inseparableness has been apparent for many years and Hembree has been a part of the family for a very long time. After losing her husband in 2000, Hall was very heartbroken, but Hembre brought love back into her heart.
“They knew as soon as May of that same year they met that they loved each other. They have been inseparable since that day. If you see one, you see the other,” Lee said. “They have become one many many years ago. They’ve been through so much, my grandmother has been in the hospital multiple times and he has never left her side, not even to get a break from the room.”
Seeing her feisty, yet sweet, loving, kind and friendly grandmother get married and smile through her pain, was healing for Lee and her family.
Despite the huge outpouring of love and support, the family still struggles with watching Mrs. Velma, now Hembree, fight for her life.
On Sunday, March 1, she asked for a pastor to come in so she and her husband could be ‘saved’ together.
“It’s hard, it’s hard for everyone, but I try to keep in good spirits for everyone,” Lee said. “It’s so hard.”
Making her comfortable and happy has been the main thing on her family’s mind and helping her to become Mrs. Velma Hembree was a moment she’s never forgotten.
“It was one of the happiest times of her life,” Lee said.