Baby

Adorable: couple weds in hospital so premature baby daughter can attend

Weddings and babies- two things that rarely go to plan. 

Rubia Ferreira and Tyler Campbell, from Alabama, know this all too well. 

The pair met in Okinawa, Japan, where Campbell was stationed with the Marine. After discovering that Rubia was pregnant they returned home to Alabama, planning to return to Japan to marry after the baby was born. 

However, Rubia began getting severe abdominal pain and was rushed to hospital. There, she was diagnosed with  HELLP syndrome- a life-threatening pregnancy complication, so she needed an emergency C-section.

Delivered at just 24 weeks, baby Kaelin Maria put her parents plans on hold. 

"We originally wanted to get married in Okinawa after the birth, so we always knew that our baby would be present at our wedding," Taylor revealed to TODAY.

After seeing online videos of couples getting married in hospitals, they asked the hospital where now three month old Kaelin was. 

 "We asked the hospital staff [if we could have a wedding there] and they said yes. We got married within two weeks — the plan didn't change, just the location."

They always want to have their daughter present at the wedding. The family's favourite neonatologist, walked the bride down the the makeshift aisle. 

Family liaison at the University of Alabama hospital, Sandra Milstead, helped to plan the whole thing. The catering team provided the food and the couple were married by the hospital pastor. 

"My favourite part of the day was just after Tyler and Rubia said, 'I do,'" she recalled. "Tyler, Rubia and Kaelin all spent some time together just soaking in the moment. It was as if you could feel the love in the room."

The family have had a roller-coaster of emotions since Kaelin's birth, her lungs are still weak and it could be another 6 months about she's released from NICU. 

"For me, it was most special to be able to watch Kaelin during our ceremony," Rubia said. "Originally I pictured getting married on the beach in Okinawa. But, under the circumstances, it was incredibly meaningful to get married in our daughter's room. I'm glad we did it this way."

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