"Hospital heroes got me to daughter's wedding"

PROUD dad Mark Edwards has thanked staff at Rotherham Hospital for making it possible for him to give his daughter away at her wedding just weeks after he suffered a stroke.

Mark (55), from Aughton, was referred to the unit in July and spent 27 days as an in-patient before being cared for at home by his family and staff from Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust’s stroke early supported discharge service.

His main motivation during his rehabilitation and recovery was to be able to see his daughter Laura tie the knot to husband Steve Haynes in September.

Mark said that dream came true thanks to the work of occupational therapist Natalie Cox and physiotherapist Katie McEwan.

He said: “It was very much Natalie and Katie’s ambition to get me to the wedding as much as it was mine.

“They wanted to succeed in getting me to the wedding and they even came on the morning to help me get ready, although Katie and I needed a little help from Youtube to tie my cravat.

“Everyone was happy to see me at the wedding.

“My son pushed me down the aisle and I got my cue to stand to give Laura away.

“I felt really proud of how far I’d come but I couldn’t have done it without Natalie and Katie’s support.”

Laura, who now lives at Handsworth, near Sheffield, said the couple even considered postponing their big day.

She said: “It meant everything to have my dad there.

“He had the stroke six weeks before the wedding and everything went through my mind.

“It was a very stressful few weeks. He was in hospital for four weeks and he had only been home for two by the time of the wedding.

“My mum had a meeting with the hospital and they said they were really willing to help get him there.”

Laura thanked Natalie and Katie for their “amazing” efforts in helping him with his recovery.

She said: “It was little things we hadn’t considered like getting him ready in the morning and they took over everything.

“My dad is doing okay. Progress is slow but we just want to see him back on his feet because he was so active before the stroke.”

Katie said: “Mark mentioned Natalie and me in his speech and said that he would not have been there without our help and support.

“There wasn’t a dry eye in the house.

“We felt incredibly honoured to be able to support him at the wedding and proud of the work we’d put in to help him get there.”