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In a moment of magic, Labor, Delivery, Recovery & Postpartum (LDRP) Room 4104 was transformed into "the wedding of the century" for the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Brown -- this was the same room where the couple and their newborn were cared for at Texas Health Mansfield just a week prior.
On March 16, Akia, an area school teacher, and Dylan, an Arlington firefighter, were scheduled to be married at the Justice of the Peace. However, Akia's water broke and later that day Layla made her grand entrance into the world. Desmond, the manager of Mission and Ministry, prayed with the family and provided Layla with her first Bible.
Knowing that Desmond is an ordained minister, one of the Women's Services nurses, Bekah, mentioned to the couple that they should be married here since they missed their original appointment. Shortly after being discharged, Akia and Dylan called the unit and asked if Desmond’s offer was still good.
On March 24, the Women's Services team came together to make this moment special for Akia and Dylan.
"This was the first wedding for us at THM, and it was so uniquely done. It was just amazing how everybody came together -- and I thought the teamwork was powerful," said Desmond. “Full of anticipation and excitement, our team, as well as Akia's OB/GYN, Dr. Arumala, could not wait to celebrate this incredible moment."
"As an L&D nurse, we have the gift to be able to experience that special moment of birth with each family, but to be able to experience their wedding too was something we will never forget. Celebrating those two huge life moments and seeing the love between Akia, Dylan, and their new baby girl was really sweet and special," said nurse Emily.
"Just how everything flowed, it was like this perfect moment. March 24th was definitely a day to remember," said Desmond.
"I could not stop smiling all day," said Lindsey, manager of Women's Services. "You could just tell they were so happy. Our hospital's mission is 'Extending the Healing Ministry of Christ.' To us, that means we care for the whole person -- body, mind, and spirit. When we have the ability to care for our patients in this way, they become family. The birth of a newborn is definitely one of the most special days in any family's life and we feel extra blessed to be a part of the spiritual union between Akia and Dylan. To us, Akia, Dylan and Layla will always be a part of the Texas Health Mansfield family!"
Mansfield, Texas, is a booming city, nestled between Fort Worth and Dallas, but with a personality all its own. The city’s 76,247 citizens enjoy an award-winning school district, vibrant economy, historic downtown, prize-winning park system and community focus spread across 37 square miles. The Mansfield Record is dedicated to reporting city and school news, community happenings, police and fire news, business, food and restaurants, parks and recreation, library, historical archives and special events. The city’s only online newspaper launched in September 2020 and will offer introductory advertising rates for the first three months at three different rates.
The Mansfield Record is the only local newspaper serving Mansfield, Texas. Established in 2020, the Mansfield Record is bringing the focus back where it should be.
