Nothing was going to stop Dana Deaton from marrying her college sweetheart. Not distance, not cancer and not time. Thirty-five years after ending the relationship she calls the "love of her life" Dana Deaton found him again, and she wasn''t letting go.
Deaton, of Centralia, IL had beat breast and colon cancer, when a new diagnosis of duodenal cancer interrupted her wedding plans. "I only found out last week, and immediate surgery was recommended," Deaton said.
David Linehan, MD, surgeon at the Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine, performed the complex Whipple procedure to treat her duodenal cancer. Just five days later, Deaton walked slowly down a hospital hallway, an accomplishment in itself, to meet her groom.
Jim Bowers met Dana Deaton when they both attended nursing school at Kaskaskia College in the early 70s. "It was a love affair from long ago, and I just never could get her out of mind," Bowers recalled. After a divorce several years ago, Bowers hired a private detective to find her. Not only did he find her, but she was living nearby and was also divorced. They resumed their relationship last summer and got engaged in January with a wedding date set for June 26.
With the wedding date interrupted by Deaton''s hospitalization, the couple decided to move forward with their plans when their pastor offered to drive to St. Louis to perform the ceremony on Sunday, June 27. A chance encounter in the elevator led Dr. Linehan to nursing supervisor Marsha Aubuchon on Saturday. Dr. Linehan told her of the impending wedding and asked if she could help find a private room. Aubuchon contacted Liz Dubois in the patient placement center who moved Deaton to 13100, Tower Place at Queeny.
"Dana is obviously a survivor, now fighting her third cancer," said Dr. Linehan. "Her determination is evidenced by the fact that not even a Whipple procedure just a few days prior could stop her wedding plans. Her courage in the face of adversity is an inspiration to me and to all patients battling cancer."
Aubuchon set more employees in motion -- guest and patient relations picked up the tab for flowers at the Plaza Shop and food and nutrition baker Sue Chapman graciously agreed to lend her time and talents to bake a wedding cake, taking it home to decorate. Tiffany Hamilton, patient placement center assistant, even made a wedding veil and helped put it on the bride.
Barnes-Jewish Hospital public relations placed a call to KSDK, Channel 5, who came to cover the wedding and featured it on the 10 p.m. Sunday night news.
With a few close friends and family, and staff from 13100 and the patient placement center in attendance, Dana Deaton and Jim Bowers finally became man and wife.
"It''s overwhelming to see the goodness in people," said Deaton. "For the hospital staff to use their special talents and gifts for us just made our day."
Jim Bowers concurs with his new bride. "A week ago we faced cancer, and Barnes-Jewish came in and now we get to go home and lead a normal life – together at last."
"It gave us all such happiness to see the love in their eyes," said Aubuchon. "It was all due to that chance encounter in the elevator with Dr. Linehan. It is the extras that we are able to do that make our jobs even more rewarding."