(WSVN) - A few weeks ago, Help Me Howard with Patrick Fraser aired a story about a quadriplegic who could not get a marriage certificate to wed his girlfriend. Patrick and Howard got that resolved. But then, two bits of news followed, as you are about to see; one good one bad.
Life has its ups and downs. Tracy and Sean remember the ups.
Tracy Beck: “He was playing pool, and I walked in, and he was smiling and like, ‘Oh my God, that smile.’ And I went right up to him and that was it.”
Ten years of fun together and then life took a terrible downward turn.
Tracy Beck: “He got a severe case of pancreatitis and his body just went into shock and he coded seven times. They saved him seven times.”
Sean was left a quadriplegic, only able to slightly move an arm.
Tracy became his caretaker.
Tracy Beck: “Yeah, [gives Sean a kiss]. You know, I love you so much.”
After a few years, Sean had a surprise.
Tracy Beck: “‘Will you marry me?’ Yes, You know I will, I love it!”
The joy was soon replaced by frustration when Tracy found out Broward County required both of them to come into the clerk’s office to apply for the marriage certificate.
Tracy Beck: “So you want me to bring him here in a stretcher with his tubes attached and everything? And they said ‘Yes.’ That’s just blows my mind.”
Tracy was told the clerk’s office would not allow a Zoom meeting for Sean to get the marriage certificate. She contacted us.
Patrick Fraser (to Sean): “We’ll figure out something, all right, buddy.”
Sean: “Thank you.”
Patrick Fraser: “God bless you.”
After we explained Sean’s special circumstances, the clerk’s office agreed to use Zoom for the couple.
Court clerk: “OK, Sean, I need you to verify your date of birth again for me.”
Sean: [Inaudible]
Sean has trouble speaking and couldn’t say his social security number, couldn’t type the numbers and then the clerk settled on letting him say yes or no.
Court clerk: “Do you swear or affirm everything on a marriage license is true and correct?”
Sean: “Yeah.”
They got the certificate. The wedding was scheduled inside their home.
Tracy Beck: “I can’t thank you enough. I’ll still be fighting with them if it wasn’t for you.”
But a few days after our story aired, fun would turn to fear, when Tracy had to dial 911.
Tracy Beck: “His breathing? His oxygen levels, they get really low.”
Sean was taken to Woodmont Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit. As Tracy sat with him, she realized, their marriage certificate would expire before Sean was released.
Tracy Beck: “And I told his nurse, I said, ‘We gonna get married here today.’ And she’s like, ‘Today! Here?’ And I said, ‘Just something simple a basic wedding.'”
That nurse was Mahalia Moore.
Mahalia Moore: “So that word ‘basic,’ I’m like ‘Baby, I’m your nurse. We don’t do basic. Let me make a few phone calls.'”
Tracy went to get her dress and a nice coat for Sean. The staff at the intensive care unit went to work. Look at what they did.
Tracy Beck: “And when I came back, this whole room was decorated. It was absolutely beautiful. They had flowers, they had food.”
Tracy had invited several friends. Her brother walked her down the aisle, filled with guess what?
Tracy Beck: “Rose petals. They moved his bed this way, so I had an aisle to walk down. It was wonderful.”
A friend performed the wedding vows.
Friend: “From this day forward, as long as you both shall live, I do.”
Sean: [Inaudible]
Tracy Beck: “What. I thought you said no.”
Then Tracy’s vows.
Friend: “As long as you both shall live.”
Tracy Beck: “I do.”
A smiling Sean got his ring.
Also smiling, Dayna and Mahalia.
Mahalia Moore: “A girl gets married every once in a lifetime. So why not make it special.”
Dayna Cruz: “We see a lot of sad things happen. Any moment that we can grab and give our patients is a great moment for us a great day for Woodmont.”
Friend: “Aww. Congratulations. Congratulations, Sean.”
Tracy couldn’t believe what the staff had done for them.
Tracy Beck: “Oh, I was crying. I was so emotional.”
Sean is feeling better, breathing better.
Dayna: “We are very optimistic.”
Patrick Fraser: “What do you think about getting married, Sean?”
Sean: [Gives a thumbs up]
Congratulations and best wishes to two remarkable people.
Tracy said Sean is doing well and she expects her husband to be released this week to come home to his new bride.
With this Help Me Howard, I’m Patrick Fraser, 7News.
CONTACT HELP ME HOWARD:
Email: helpmehoward@wsvn.com
Reporter: Patrick Fraser at pfraser@wsvn.com
Miami-Dade: 305-953-WSVN
Broward: 954-761-WSVN
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