Dad watches his daughter get married at Pittsburgh hospital after community comes together
A hospital lounge never looked more beautiful than this past Saturday at UPMC Shadyside Hospital's oncology floor.
All eyes focused on Miranda Hamilton and her father, Mark Hamilton, 54 days into his battle with leukemia.
"He was really happy, he was ecstatic," says Miranda. "At that point, he had the motivation to want to walk me down the aisle. He kept telling everybody, 'Nothing is going to stop me from walking her down an aisle-' and he did."
The impromptu wedding started with just a quick Facebook post as Miranda and her fiance, Tyler Jameson, rushed down from Boston on Friday night to get to her sick dad's bedside.
"I got in the car around 4, and probably around 9, 10," says Miranda, "I got on and said I wanted a photographer, is anyone available?"
That one post caught the attention of Dawn Takacs, the founder of the Pittsburgh Brides Facebook group. In just a few hours, Takacs pulled together what would take most people months.
"A makeup artist, the photographer, a guitarist, the florist, the wedding planner," says Miranda, "and then all of the nurses pitched in and got my cake, helped decorate. They were built-in bridesmaids."
Those two nurses, Shannon and Alisa, helped make it all happen.
"I felt overwhelmed with emotion as soon as I saw Miranda down the hall in her full get up and ready to go I started to cry and then when they did their first look, I didn't stop crying the whole time," said Shannon Grainy.
"I have to agree, I started crying when they did their first look, and I just said its all downhill from here, so touching," added Alisa Gertner.
Miranda's husband Tyler said he'll forever remember one part.
"The part that got me the most is we exchanged vows and Miranda wrote a separate piece just for her dad and read that to her dad and that really hit home for me," he said.
With not a dry eye in sight, and surrounded by love, the father and daughter danced to "Grow Up Too Fast" by Jimmy Charles. A moment the two didn't know would even happen just days earlier.
"The memories I'm going to hold for the rest of my life will be very dear to my heart and the people that were involved I will love them forever," said Miranda.
On Monday, Miranda said her dad entered critical care at the hospital. She said shortly after the story aired on KDKA-TV at 7:30 Tuesday night, her dad passed away peacefully.
Pittsburgh Brides thanks all of the generous vendors who stepped up without even needing to be asked - Cara Svetkovich of Carista Events, musician Stephen Gallo, photographer Amy Jennings, makeup artist Allena Riggio, and florist Lisa Myers.
Miranda also said she and her husband are thankful to all the local vendors, nurses and hospital staff at UPMC Shadyside who stepped up to create this lasting memory for her.