The Wedding in Ward 14B

After a weekend of blessings spent with my family, and 21 years of blessings behind me, I wanted to give thanks. It has been a tradition of mine to hear mass on my birthday, and this year I specifically wanted to attend the mass at the PGH chapel. I was hoping that Fr. Francis Alvarez would officiate the noon mass. I’d heard him say mass at PGH several times before, and his homilies were truly inspiring. I was eager to find out what his homily would tell me on my birthday.

Unfortunately, when Mama, Papa, Monch, and I arrived at the chapel, we found out that the noon mass had been cancelled because it was a holiday. So Mom suggested we go to the chaplain’s office on the off chance that Father would be there, and ask for birthday blessings. Luckily enough, he was around. And after exchanging pleasantries and praying over me and my family, Father mentioned that there would be an emergency wedding at the PGH wards the next day, and if some of us med students could possibly take time out to help. I wholeheartedly said yes, thinking it would be the perfect way to celebrate my birthday.

Fr. Francis explained that the patient who was to be married was a woman named Mary Grace Lumogda. She had been diagnosed with cervical cancer just a few months ago. She and her boyfriend of several years, Titus Quintela, had been saving up for a dream wedding, but the funds they raised ended up being used for her hospitalization and treatment expenses. They also have a one year-old daughter with hydrocephalus. Mary Grace’s doctors said that she could go any day, thus the reason for the emergency wedding. Fr. Francis described to me how Mary Grace’s eyes had instantly lit up when he told her that she and Titus could still get married. Father was able to somehow make arrangements for Titus to be flown to Manila from Antique, and so that Mary Grace’s relatives could buy a simple white dress from Baclaran. He asked me for help with the makeup, just enough so she could feel special on her special day. For that, I asked Julie, 2014’s resident makeup artist.

The Lumogda-Quintela wedding was held on September 8, 2009, at Ward 14B of PGH. A number of us gathered to witness the occasion. Julie did the makeup, some of us took pictures, and some members of the MedChoir sang It Might Be You, Mary Grace’s favorite song. Mary Grace was even singing along softly. Titus held on to Mary Grace as Fr. Francis took them through the rites and the vows. And when he proclaimed them man and wife, you could see nothing but joy in their eyes. There was no cancer, no sickness, no pain. Only love for each other.

I am so thankful to have been a part of such an important event in the lives of Ate Mary Grace and Kuya Titus (I was even one of the witnesses in their marriage contract!). Some have said their story is straight out a Nicholas Sparks novel or a Maalaala Mo Kaya episode. But this was no fictional love story created from someone’s imagination. This was real, it happened right inside PGH--a miracle of the Blessed Mother, on her birthday. A miracle because a woman was made to smile and sing even at the point of death. A miracle because two people were brought together and were married, against all odds.

I look forward to many more miracles, both big and small, within the wards of PGH and beyond.

To see photos of the event, click here.