A Change of Plans, Not Heart: Couple Weds in Hospital Chapel

Mary Sonora walked down the aisle in the chapel of Adventist Hinsdale Hospital the day before Thanksgiving, supported emotionally and physically by her parents as she stepped toward the man she loves.

This wasn’t the wedding in Tennessee Mary had planned. This wasn’t even the backup Chicago church wedding they put together when she became too sick to travel.

This hospital wedding was surprising and spontaneous, and Mary was struck by how beautiful it was.

“The important thing was that I would marry the love of my life, my best friend, and we’d be together,” Mary said.

Photo by Katie Kett Photography.

When Raul Sonora proposed to Mary in February, they wanted a May wedding. But Mary’s painful, undiagnosed health issues led them to set the date for Nov. 28 in Tennessee.

Doctors didn’t know what was wrong with Mary. Her joints would pop out of place, muscles spasmed, she felt severe back pain and her legs would go numb. Sometimes she would pass out. As the wedding date drew near, Mary was diagnosed with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome and Vasovagal Syncope, which cause a high heart rate and passing out.

The family decided to move the wedding to Chicago on Nov. 25, which was Mary’s 22nd birthday.

Mary fell four days before the wedding. Her legs were numb, and she was in pain. She went to the hospital, then home. Two days before the wedding, Mary had so much back pain she returned to the hospital, where she was diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, which causes pain, muscle spasms and popping joints.

The hospital’s nurses, who Mary said had been sweet, caring and understanding of her pain, brought her flowers. They were red roses with white and purple flowers.

“They were the exact flowers I had picked out for my big wedding in Tennessee,” Mary said. “It was a sign from God that the wedding was going to be at the hospital, and it was going to be beautiful.”

Mary and Raul already had the marriage license. Everyone brought their suits and dresses, and the pastor agreed to drive to Hinsdale from Wilmette.

The director of Healing Arts at Adventist Hinsdale Hospital, Susan Kett, helped coordinate the wedding and called upon Katie Kett Photography to document the occasion.

Tricia Treft, a manager of pastoral care, said everyone jumped in to help. The hospital’s food service provided plates and forks. A nurse made Mary’s favorite chocolate raspberry cake.

A musical chaplain learned to play the songs Mary and Raul wanted, “Can’t Help Falling in Love” by Elvis and “Love Never Fails” by Brandon Heath.

“It was amazing just to see people come together and get excited about this and be supportive of Mary and everything the team could do to help her,” Treft said. “Their special occasion was so in line with our mission of ministry to the whole person, mind body and spirit.”

Everything was ready. The pastor prayed with Mary for strength and energy. Mary, with her mom and dad’s help, was able to walk down the aisle.

Photo by Katie Kett Photography. Bobby Ramsey (left), Mary Sonora, Cathy Ramsey (right).

“We got up there, and as soon as I saw Raul, I was so at peace, and I saw his face and the beauty of everything,” Mary said.

The photographer, Katie Kett of Burr Ridge, said Mary was one of the happiest and most relaxed brides she’s ever worked with, and it was moving to see a couple focused more on their love and marriage than their wedding.

Mary left the hospital Dec. 4. She said she wants to share her story for three reasons: to show what true love and marriage should look like, to share how God works all things together for good and to raise awareness for invisible conditions like hers.

She said for years doctors didn’t believe her pain, and people assume because she’s in her 20s, she must be healthy. She said doctors and the public both need to be educated on unseen illnesses, and more awareness is needed for patients with chronic pain. She thanks God for her new doctors, her diagnosis and her husband.

In an effort to give back to those who made her wedding so special, Mary, who teaches piano, plans to return to the hospital as a volunteer pianist to share the healing powers of music.

“God showed his love for me when I didn’t know I needed Raul,” she said. “He showed his love again by putting me in this wedding I didn’t even want, and it turned out to be more beautiful than I could have ever dreamed.”

You can follow along with Mary’s health journey and marriage journey on Instagram at @mrs_sonora and on her Facebook page.

Click here to see all the Katie Kett Photography images of Mary and Raul’s wedding.

Photo by Katie Kett Photography. Mary and Raul.