Terminally ill man marries longtime love in hospital as final wish comes true

A terminally ill man who chose to provide for his kids over spending money on a wedding has finally tied the knot with his fiancé – 20 years after he first proposed to her.

Dean Pennell, 63, met his partner Kay Beaman, 62, through their children 24 years ago in Basildon, Essex.

The couple held off on wedding plans in order to provide for their 10 children. 

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But after being told he had just weeks to live, Pennell — who has terminal cancer — finally married Beaman on June 18 at Colchester Hospital in Essex, England, news agency SWNS reported.

The new wife said, "I am absolutely elated. We have waited a long time, and it’s so special to be able to celebrate our marriage here, with our families."

She added to SWNS, "Dean proposed when we first got together — but with 10 children between us, money would not allow."

She added, "We were planning to get married this year, but with the situation as it was, we decided to bring the wedding forward."

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The couple were joined by their family and friends, including their 10 children and some of their 18 grandchildren.

The event was organized in less than a week by a variety of hospital staff members, SWNS noted.

Said Beaman, "It was very hard for Dean. He had been so excited in the lead-up to the wedding, and I would get a phone call from him at the hospital every morning telling me how many days there were to go until the wedding."

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She said that "when the day came, he was adamant, as difficult as it was, that he was going to stand up for as much as the ceremony as possible — and we had a lovely day."

She noted her new husband "was exhausted afterward. Dean is now back at home, and we are living life to suit us."

A former electroplater, Pennell added, "It was absolutely brilliant. The staff worked really hard to organize the wedding."

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Ward manager Lucy Everett said, "It has been a pleasure to be able to help Dean and Kay. It’s rare that we get to celebrate a wedding at Colchester Hospital — it’s a first for me," as SWNS reported.

The East Suffolk and North Essex Foundation Trust also presented the couple with a clock — displaying the exact time the happy couple said "I do" on their big day.