This is a true story of how Jodi Stoner, a nurse with the OSF Lung Clinic, brought unforgettable joy to an engaged couple she didn't even know. D and I have been together since we met in 2004. After two years we got engaged and talked many times about getting married "some day". So after 10 years we decided in November. About mid-October, Don came down with cold symptoms and a bad cough. After two weeks I took him to an OSF Prompt Care where he was prescribed a cough medicine and an inhaler. After two more weeks with no improvement we saw an ENT. On 11/6, he had a chest x-ray. On 11/10, we got our marriage license in Tazewell County and on 11/11 he had a CT scan of his chest. Then an "angel" came into our lives!

I spoke to Jodi Stoner once to arrange an appointment for D. The appointment was to be on 11/14 so I told her "we can't come in after noon because we have a 1PM appointment to get married!". "No worries" she said, "Your appointment is at 8AM". On 11/12, I saw Jodi for about five minutes to drop off the disk of the CT scan to her at OSF. When she met me at my car outside of OSF in the cold, snowy weather that day, so I wouldn't have to park and find her, I thought "this is a special and caring person". Little did we know at that time how special she really was! So, with excitement about finally saying our "I do's", we drove to OSF on Friday morning 11/14. I had brought along the marriage license so we wouldn't have to stop back by our house again on the way to the Pekin Courthouse.

We were called back to an exam room and there was Jodi with a smile and caring attitude. We noticed it from the minute she spoke to us. Vitals were taken and to our complete surprise, D had an arrhythmia called atrial fibrillation and his heart rate was 160 beats per minute. Within moments, Dr. M came in. She and Jodi were very surprised that D showed no symptoms of this abnormal heart rate. Also, the CT scan results were explained to us. We were told D had a tumor the size of a grown man's fist in the middle lobe of his right lung that was wrapped around a pulmonary vessel, probably lung cancer. Really, not today! It's supposed to be our wedding day! Then another "bomb". Dr. M said, "D, you have to be admitted now. You cannot leave the hospital with this heart problem". To which D replied, "We are getting married at 1:00 and then we will come back". Dr. M's response was, "If you leave and that tumor squeezes that pulmonary vessel any further or invades into it, you won't make it back here". She was serious!

Now the tears ran from my eyes. Jodi knew I was very upset and took me to another room. I said, "Jodi, I'm not worried about missing our wedding, I just want D to be okay". Then another thought came to me: could we get married here at OSF by a chaplain? A ray of hope! I called my daughter, A, who was on her way to work and she immediately changed course to come to OSF to be with us. After she arrived, we met Reverend Barton and he agreed to marry us. Now comes the amazing stuff. The most incredible combination of random acts of kindness we would ever experience!

First, our marriage license was from Tazewell County and OSF is in Peoria County - strike one. D couldn't leave the hospital to go with me to get a new license at the Peoria County Courthouse - strike two. And there is a 24-hour waiting period after getting a marriage license before it would be legal - strike three. Our dream of getting married today was slowly disappearing. But wait, we still had Jodi Stoner and the staff of the OSF Lung Clinic!

Jodi said, "Don't worry, let me make some phone calls. We are gonna make this happen". Oh, I thought, what a sweet gesture, but I really didn't feel it was possible and our brains were pretty overwhelmed with all the medical information we had just received. All I could do was pray, "God, please let him be okay". About 30 minutes passed and Jodi came back in, points to me and says, "You and your daughter are going to get in my van and I am taking you to the Peoria Courthouse to get a new marriage license. D will be fine here with the clinic staff." So I blindly followed her instructions and as we pull up to the courthouse, Jodi hands me a piece of paper with two room numbers on it and $50 cash. I didn't know what to say. She explained that we needed to go to the first room to get a signed order by a judge that would waive the 24-hour waiting period. The second room was to fill out a new license and the $50 was from her and the staff at the Lung Clinic to pay for the license. What?! How did she do all of this and why?! for a couple of people she didn't even know and had just met a couple of hours ago? There are "angels" among us!

My daughter helped me complete the tasks assigned to us and met the Peoria County Clerk. He had informed us he would meet us at the hospital after canceling another appointment, to witness our signatures on the license. Jodi had talked to him too!. Back to the van and back to OSF Lung Clinic we went. S arrives to witness our signatures and check our IDs. He looks over the judge's order, as does Reverend Barton and they both agree that we are good to get married today! I was so overcome by the joy and generosity of them all that again the tears were flowing. D and I smiled and kissed each other and said "thank you" to everyone.

Now, just when you think it can't get any better than that, Jodi says "Let's go to a room down the hall". D's in a wheelchair and as I follow him, Jodi hands me a fresh bouquet of flowers and says "Every bride needs a bouquet and you haven't seen anything yet". What?? There's more?? Down the hall, we enter another room to see about 20 people (who we don't even know) cheering "congratulations" and clapping for us. Also, two photographers taking photos like the paparazzi clicking photos of Hollywood royalty. White bows decorated the chairs and signs were hung decorated with hearts and our names with wishes of "Congratulations". D and I stood in front of Reverend Barton and said our vows as a peace came over us and the room. My daughter handed D my engagement ring to use and also a ring Don had purchased for himself years ago for me to give him, for the exchanging of rings. "And now I pronounce you husband and wife". The words were so sweet and so was the kiss! But wait, there's more!

A wedding cake from Trefzger's decorated with bells, flowers, two silver rings and our names, a card given to us signed by all in attendance, my daughter and Jodi signed our marriage certificate as witnesses, and as we exit the room we feel and see red rose petals floating through the air over us and on the floor and more cheers from the staff as we head for the ER to have D admitted.

Jodi stayed with us until we were taken care of in admitting and later we were given a CD with our wedding photos on it. So we want to dedicate this story of our joyous day to Jodi, Reverend Barton, Dr. Mackenzie McGee, and all the staff at the Lung Clinic. Jodi will always hold a special place in our hearts, as we ll as everyone she included, in turning November 14 into our wedding day to remember! The memories of that day will be all the sweeter because Jodi was there for us.

We have never witnessed someone going "above and beyond" like Jodi and the staff at the OSF Lung Clinic. They were all incredible examples of the caring and thoughtfulness we should all have for one another every day. Thank you Jodi and God bless you always for touching our lives so amazingly that we will never forget it!