Some stories stay with you. This is one of them.
In June, our Wellbeing Garden became the setting for a wedding — one held not in the usual sense of the word, but with just as much love, meaning, and joy. Lee and Debbie Godbold had been together for 36 happy years when Debbie, receiving treatment for stage 4 lung cancer, was admitted to hospital. Rather than wait, they decided the time had come to finally make it official.
Thanks to the quick thinking and kindness of hospital staff, registrars, and the team here at the Fountain Centre, a wedding that might easily have been impossible came together within hours — culminating in a ceremony beneath the wisteria in our Wellbeing Garden.
Lee has generously shared the full story of that day in his own words, and we're honoured to share it with you here.
In Lee's own words:
We had originally hoped to marry in April 2026, but Debbie's readmission to hospital meant it could not go ahead.
She had been so brave throughout the rollercoaster that followed her diagnosis with stage 4 ALK-positive lung cancer in June 2025. Debbie had complete faith in the Lung Cancer Team, particularly Dr Attia, Rachel, Princess and Gillian, who were all wonderful throughout her care. She continued to believe in the treatments and remained optimistic until the very end.
Her passing came far sooner than either of us expected, as we genuinely believed we had more time together. After 36 very happy years, we had both agreed that we should not leave it any longer and wanted to make that final commitment to one another. It was not only because of Debbie's illness, but because we had come to realise that none of us truly knows what may be around the corner.
At around 4.00pm on 19th June, I contacted Guildford Register Office on the off chance that there might still be an opportunity for us to give notice. Dr Attia had personally delivered the necessary letter earlier that day, so we had everything we needed in place. I even had a Pandora dress ring in the car, which I had given Debbie for Christmas so that we could use it to help size our wedding bands.
Mike at Surrey County Council received my email and telephoned me just ten minutes later. He put me straight through to Lucy, the Deputy Superintendent Registrar, who explained, much to my surprise, that she could come to the hospital and marry us in just an hour and a half.
Debbie was understandably shocked when I shared the news. Her first reaction was, "Oh no," which I am sure was because she felt she needed more time to prepare! With Lucy still waiting on the phone, and after a little gentle reassurance, Debbie changed her mind and announced, "Oh, go on then." We had our answer, and everything began to fall into place.
The nurse in charge, Sister Isabelle "Izzy" Sarjudeen, had already given permission for us to marry on the ward. She then told us that she could help move Debbie into the Wellbeing Garden and would also be one of our witnesses. This was such wonderful news. Simply being able to take Debbie outside on such a beautiful day felt incredibly special, even though at that point I had never seen the garden.
Debbie's sister Paula then arrived and was thrilled to discover that she would also be a witness. Shortly afterwards, Lucy and Rosie, the Deputy Registrar, joined us, and the six of us made our way to the Wellbeing Garden for the ceremony.
We joked that the wave of heat as we left the hospital felt like arriving on honeymoon. It reminded us of the warmth that hits you when the aircraft doors open after landing in Ibiza.
Stepping into the garden was magical. It was so beautiful that we could have been anywhere in the world. It offered a complete escape from the hospital environment and made our marriage even more meaningful.
The timing was perfect. It was around 6.00pm, the sun was still shining, and there was a gentle breeze. We sat together on a bench beneath a beautiful flowering wisteria, surrounded by the scent of the garden flowers. It was the most perfect moment, and we were both completely captivated by the experience.
Lucy, Rosie and Izzy were all so kind, and as the photographs show, Debbie and I were overjoyed to finally tie the knot. Even while she was so unwell, Debbie still radiated love, kindness and compassion.
Izzy filmed a short video of the ceremony and took some wonderful photographs. I now realise just how priceless they are as reminders of that beautiful occasion.
I will always be deeply grateful that we were given access to such a special place, and to Izzy, Lucy, Rosie and Paula for helping to make our marriage happen at such short notice.
Thank you to the Fountain Centre for allowing us to use this beautiful space, the Wellbeing Garden. I will continue to visit for as long as it remains, to reflect on and remember one of the most treasured moments of my life.
With love from Mr Lee Godbold and Mrs Deborah Ann Godbold, married 19th June 2026. xx
