Woman married partner in hospital 48 hours before he died

Mike Reynolds was suffering from recently diagnosed pulmonary fibrosis.

He married partner of eight years Lara in a touching ceremony organised by the bride in just one day.

After delivery driver Mike was diagnosed with the lung condition in May the couple's life "turned upside down.''

Mike Reynolds and Lara Reynolds outside hospital. (Image: Lara Reynolds / SWNS)

Lara and Mike had to postpone their 2020 wedding plans due to COVID, and continued to make the most of their time together, until he was hospitalised in late August.

After speaking with a hospital chaplain, Mike and Lara decided to get married the next day, in a ceremony Lara described as "heartbreakingly beautiful."

Tragically, Mike passed away just 48 hours after the ceremony, aged 51.

"We met 11 years ago – he was actually my delivery man," said Lara, 38, from Fraddon in Cornwall.

"We had a good life. We were meant to get married in 2020, but COVID got in the way.

"We always thought we’d have plenty of time and we’d get married one day."

Mike had been struggling with breathlessness in January, and began a months-long process to find the cause.

At first, doctors suspected a chest infection, but the couple kept pushing.

After multiple appointments, they still had no answers - with one doctor even suggesting that the symptoms might be a result of anxiety.

On 8 May, after seeing both private and NHS doctors, Mike was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis.

Mike Reynolds before the diagnosis (Image: Lara Reynolds / SWNS)

"They initially signed him off because they thought it was a chest infection," said 38-year-old Lara.

"One doctor asked if he thought it was all just in his head, and asked if he'd tried yoga.

"It was a very emotional time. He was struggling to do normal things, but he was also still working, still active, and still Mike.

"When he was diagnosed, our world turned upside down."

Mike continued to attend doctors appointments and receive treatments available, whilst he and Lara continued to make the most of their time together.

After his health declined drastically in August, Mike was hospitalised for three weeks, before returning to hospital just one week after release.

"We got some little oxygen tanks – we called them Ghostbusters tanks – and we changed our lives," said Lara.

We were careful to not be around large groups of people to avoid infection. We changed how we did everything.

Mike Reynolds in hospital (Image: Lara Reynolds / SWNS)

"We were doing alright – we’d planned to go away in May; we’d planned to do a lot of things. He couldn’t fly anymore, but we could drive, so we went on driving trips.

"Then the 28 August hit us, and he was just grey. I had to call 999 and rush him into hospital, and he was there for three weeks.

"He was released on the Monday, and he had one whole week at home. He could barely walk up or down the stairs - it was very traumatic for him.

"We decided to get him back to hospital, and then he got worse."

Finding comfort in speaking to the hospital chaplain, Mike began discussing his final goal - to marry Lara.

Lara immediately began planning an intimate ceremony in the hospital, surrounded by their closest family and friends.

"He spoke to the chaplain and found a lot of comfort in that," she said.

"He mentioned that we were supposed to get married, but didn’t, and the chaplain said he could make it happen.

"Mike was adamant that it was happening. The chaplain said it could happen in 24 hours; it was happening in 24 hours.

"I had 24 hours to organise our wedding. I did it, and then at 2PM on 27 September, we were married.

"It was beautiful; it was upsetting. It wasn’t what either of us wanted, but we had family and friends there.

"His best friend said it perfectly – you don’t need all of the fancy dresses and hundreds of people, it’s about love.

"Our wedding was about pure love. It was what we’d always wanted to do – we just thought we had more time.

"It was hard and it was emotional, but it was our day.

"I’m calling it heartbreakingly beautiful, and I’m getting that tattooed.

"The hospital and the ward and the palliative care team and the chaplains were amazing."

Sadly, on 29 September 2024, Mike passed away.

Lara now hopes to share their story to raise awareness of pulmonary fibrosis and urge anyone experiencing breathing issues to see a doctor as soon as possible.

"48 hours later, he couldn’t fight anymore, and he passed away," said Lara.

"He didn’t get to shout it from the rooftops that I was his wife – that’s all he wanted.

"From the moment that he got diagnosed to the day that he died was 4 and a half months - and nobody knows what pulmonary fibrosis is.

"Friends and family thought he would be alright, that it was only a lung disease. I don’t think anybody except for me and Mike knew how serious this actually was.

"The average time after diagnosis is 2-5 years, but we’d heard of people that have had it for 10 years. He had hope that he was going to live until he was 60.

"If doctors had known something more about pulmonary fibrosis, then they might have listened for crackling sounds in his lungs.

"We might have been a couple of months ahead and he could have been put on different drugs or put on the transplant list.

"I don’t want another family to go through what we’re going through right now. It shouldn’t be like this.

"Take things seriously, listen to your body, and keep pushing for help.

"I constantly had to fight for Mike and to try and get people to listen to us.

"We did get answers, just a little bit too late."