Dying man gives daughter away in hospital wedding

The daughter of a terminally ill man got married in hospital to grant him his dying wish of giving her away.

Sarah Atkins and Matthew Brown had been planning to get married at a register office.

But they brought forward their big day after Sarah's father, Barry, who has pancreatic cancer, was taken to hospital earlier in the week.

The couple tied the knot in front of Mr Atkins, and other family and friends, at Sandwell General Hospital in West Bromwich.

Sarah thanked staff at the hospital for their care.

"I would like to thank both Reverend Graham Field and Leonhard our vicar for helping us to bring this all together and for performing the ceremony for us as if it wasn’t for them we wouldn’t have been able to get it done," she said.

"I would also like to thank one nurse in particular - Alex Abbott, who is a staff nurse.

"Alex has been great in helping us through this whole situation and setting up the room for us and for also helping to care for my dad."

Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust said the hospital has seen weddings on site in the past, but it is "very rare" that it is not the patient getting married.