Terminally ill man weds fiancée at Colchester Hospital after 20 years

A terminally ill man who chose to provide for his children rather than spend money on a wedding has finally married his fiancee, 20 years after he first proposed to her.

Dean Pennell, 63, met his partner Kay Beaman, 62, through their children in Basildon, Essex, 24 years ago.

The couple postponed their wedding plans to provide for their 10 children.

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But Pennell, who has terminal cancer, finally married Beaman on June 18 at Colchester Hospital in Essex, England, after being told she only had a few weeks to live, SWNS news agency reported.

The new wife said, “I am absolutely delighted. We have been waiting for a long time and it is very special to be able to celebrate our marriage here with our families.”

She added to SWNS: “Dean proposed when we first got together but money won’t allow it with 10 kids between us.”

“We were planning to get married this year, but considering the situation, we decided to bring the wedding forward,” he added.

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The couple was joined by their family and friends, including their 10 children and 18 grandchildren.

The event was organized by various hospital staff in less than a week, SWNS said.

Beaman (front left) and Pennell (front right) with Langham Ward manager Lucy Everett, head nurse Emma Davis and patient flow co-ordinator Donna Knox at Colchester Hospital. Family and friends are shown in the background. (SWNS)

“It was very difficult for Dean. He was so excited before the wedding, and every morning I would get a call from the hospital telling me how many days until the wedding,” Beaman said.

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“When the day came, he was adamant that no matter how difficult it was, he would attend the ceremony as much as possible, and we had a beautiful day,” he said.

Pennell, who has terminal cancer, finally married his fiancee on June 18 after being told he only had a few weeks to live. (SWNS)

She said her new husband “fell exhausted afterwards. Dean is back home now and we’re living life on our own terms.”

Pennell, a former electroplater, added: “It was absolutely perfect. The staff worked really hard to organize the wedding.”

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“It was a pleasure to be able to help Dean and Kay. It’s rare that we celebrate a wedding at Colchester Hospital – this is a first for me,” ward manager Lucy Everett said, as SWNS reported.

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East Suffolk and North Essex Foundation Trust also gifted the couple a watch that marks the exact time the happy couple said “I do” on their big day.