A newlywed couple decided to take their wedding celebrations to Lynn’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital so the bride’s brother, who is critically ill with a life-threatening condition, could see his sister in her wedding dress.
Keleigh Rowell received a devastating call last Thursday evening – just two days before her wedding – telling her she needed to say goodbye to her brother Lee Fenn who has a serious heart condition.
Initially, Keleigh wanted to call off her wedding, but her older brother Lee made her promise that she would still go ahead with her special day.
Keleigh said: “I hit the ground when I found out, I was at the hospital on Thursday night and in my head the wedding wasn’t going to go ahead. How could you celebrate something that happy when this is going on?
“But he made me promise him that the wedding would go ahead. He forced me to carry on.”
Lee, 37, of Hunstanton, was admitted to the QEH a couple of weeks ago after taking a “downward spiral”. He was later sent to the critical care unit and last Thursday his family was told he had just 48 hours to live.
But Lee, who has defied the odds, got a very special bedside visit from his sister and her now husband Paul.
Keleigh kept her promise and got married last Saturday, and on Sunday, the newly wed couple got dressed up again to see Lee.
Lee’s wife, Lisa Fenn, said she was “overwhelmed” when they saw the couple walking down the hospital corridors.
Lisa said: “She came to him in her wedding dress, it was overwhelming.
“He’s had a hard life, he had cancer when he was a child and a brain tumour as a teenager.
“The critical care team has been second to none, it is a beautiful thing she did for him. I give credit to the hospital for letting them come in.
“It’s not every day you see a bride walking through the QEH.”
Keleigh decided to make sure the moment was filmed so family and friends could see it.
She posted the video on the social media platform TikTok, which has gained more than 778,000 views and 34,000 likes.
Keleigh added: “I videoed everything, I’m the only little sister he’s got. I walked in wearing my dress with great pride.”
Keleigh met her husband Paul nine years ago when they were both living in Heacham and had been making preparations for their special day for some time.
She has also set up a JustGiving page to help Lee and Lisa with everyday costs as Lisa has given up work to help look after her husband.
“Lisa was worrying about finances, I want to raise funds if possible to make things more bearable,” said Keleigh.
The aim is to raise £20,000 to help Lee and Lisa.
Keleigh explained there has been some difficulty in Lee getting a heart transplant.
“It’s going to possibly be the way with him that he’s eventually not going to be with us,” said Keleigh.
To donate to Lee’s JustGiving page, visit: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/keleigh-Rowell
