[dropcap]W[/dropcap]earing a dress of burgundy and white to match her beautiful bouquet of deep red roses and bright white orchids, Esperanza Sanchez looked the part of a blushing bride as she tied the knot with Robert Carreon Nov. 9.
For Sanchez and Carreon, the day proved it’s never too late to marry the one you love, no matter the circumstances.
Their wedding day was even more special for Sanchez as marrying Carreon was her wish, even as her health began to decline.
Having an official wedding ceremony with her longtime partner, whom she met in a San Antonio restaurant in the 1970s, was her dream.
Sanchez has been a patient at Central Texas Medical Center (CTMC) Hospice Center since October when she was diagnosed with a terminal kidney disease.
With the help of CTMC’s “Dream a Dream” program, she had her chance to be a bride.
Kale Romberger, a marketing coordinator at CTMC, said in a press release the young couple quickly fell in love and started a family together that has grown to include 20 grandchildren and 35 great-grandchildren.
Carreon spoke about his love for Sanchez in the press release.
“My favorite things about her are her personality, her cooking, everything,” Carreon said.
Amber, the couple’s daughter said she always “loved Valentines Day” as Carreon would surprise them all with gifts, “every year, never failed.”
According to Jackie Duran, with the CTMC Hospice Center, the wedding was conceived and executed in only a week after a conversation with Sanchez and Carreon. It led to fulfilling a dream for the Hospice team at CTMC.
Duran said the couple were engaging in some light banter during a home visit when Sanchez joked that she should have married Carreon “a long time ago.” The conversation led Duran to approach the family about the idea of a dream wedding for the pair.
Duran said after an email was sent to the CTMC Hospice Board members, ideas came flooding in on how to pull off their dream wedding.
CTMC enlisted the help of several San Marcos businesses whch pitched in their services.
Duran said all costs associated with the impromptu wedding were covered by community donations to the CTMC Dream a Dream program. The bride’s hair and makeup were done by Hospice aides Margarita Rodriguez and Roxanne Montalvo.
The bride had her six sisters as her bridesmaids wearing identical burgundy blouses with sleeves of lace as she wed the love of her life.
The wedding ceremony was officiated by CTMC Hospice Care chaplain Denise Grant.
