Terminally-ill father dies after daughter ties the knot at his bedside

Charlotte, NC - A woman whose father is terminally ill decided to bump up her wedding 8 months and get married at his bedside in the hospital Wednesday.

Kaila Kirby's father Jubal Kirby suffered from a lung disease called "Pulmonary Fibrosis," which is connected to his rheumatoid arthritis. 

A spokesman for the Carolinas Medical Center confirmed that Jubal passed away on Monday. Jubal had been at the hospital for three weeks.

Nurse Meredith along with a few other nurses overheard the families wishes and took on the role as wedding coordinators to help Kaila and her fiance, Daniel put the ceremony together.

“He wanted to do this for his daughter. It was on  his bucket list, and now, he can rest peacefully," Nurse Meredith said.

The nurses provided balloons and cake, according to the hospital. Kaila's older sister went to Target to get their dad a shirt and her sister a veil and bouquet. A Target employee paid for all the items.

A former pastor that knew the family, Rex Burleson performed the ceremony. And a chaplain from Carolinas HealthCare System played guitar. 

The ceremony took place at noon, Jubal was alert and is on a non-invasive ventilator. The hospital says he understood what was going on and had a smile on his face.

Pastor Burleson wedded Jubal and his wife, Colleen earlier in the week after being together for 26 years.

"Kaila really wanted her dad to be part of her wedding. She may not have gotten everything she imagined on her wedding day but she got the most important part, to spend it with her dad," Pastor Burleson said.

Everyone came together to make it a very special day.

“I am happy but sad because I wanted my dad to stand beside me. He’s my best friend," Kaila said.