A patient awaiting a heart transplant tied the knot with his beloved at the MUHC's Glen Site this weekend, marking a first for the superhospital.
58 year old Gerard Champagne underwent massive heart surgery just a few weeks ago after suffering from heart failure. He now has a temporary mechanism to keep his heart beating while he waits for a new one.
Champagne tells CTV he felt wonderful and nervous before the ceremony, and that he never thought he would live to find "the one". His new wife Michelle Cormier has been by his side throughout his medical journey and says she's eternally grateful to be marrying Champagne. She says she didn't realize how much she loved him until she thought she was going to lose him.
The couple were married at the superhospital in front of friends and family Saturday afternoon. It was the first wedding held at the MUHC.
The newlyweds will be spending their honeymoon at the hospital while they wait for a new heart. Champagne is on a list for a heart transplant but it could be years before he gets one.
For now, he's happy to focus on healing as a married man.
- With files from CTV Montreal