Sarah Kempinska had been planning her wedding for two years, but her health condition put the event in jeopardy. Kempinska suffers from Granulomatosis with polyangiitis, an autoimmune condition that affects her lungs and airway. She had routine surgeries to remove growths in her airways, but this time there were complications that resulted in her being admitted to the hospital.
Kempinska’s wedding was scheduled for June 3, but due to her condition, it was uncertain if it would happen. While she was in a medically-induced coma, her fiancé, Jim, had to take charge of contacting vendors and making sure everything was in order for the wedding. Despite the uncertainty, hospital staff went above and beyond to support Kempinska. They even braided her hair and placed her IV line in a way that wouldn’t interfere with her wedding dress.
Kempinska’s sister, Anna, who works as an emergency department physician at the same hospital, helped explain the medical information to their family. The priority was for Kempinska to get better and leave the hospital, but there were doubts about whether the wedding could still take place.
However, just four days before the wedding, Kempinska woke up from her coma. Though she needed some assistance, she was able to walk down the aisle and even dance a little. It is now believed that the impact of her condition was worse than initially thought, and the medications she was on may not have been as effective as they should have been.
Moving forward, the hospital will explore better medical control to reduce the risk of complications in future surgeries for Kempinska. While there is no cure for her condition, she is fortunate to have a team of doctors monitoring her.
Despite the challenges she faced, Kempinska is now happily married and feeling good. She considers her wedding day a miracle and is grateful for the support she received from the hospital staff.