Jackson was to marry her partner of 19 years, Stephen, on 10 October at the Village Hotel in Hyde when her father Leslie was taken to Tameside General Hospital on 8 October. Jackson said she was 'completely heartbroken' that her father could not attend. 'All I wanted was to see him before I walked down the aisle. So I came to him in hospital,' she said.
Jackson met Stephen at college when both were 17. The couple have been engaged since 2015 and decided to marry earlier this year. After Leslie was hospitalised, a nurse explained he was too high risk to leave the ward even for an hour. Leslie urged his daughter not to postpone the wedding.
The bride visited the hospital on 9 October, the day before her wedding, and organised with nurses to return at 15:00 GMT on the wedding day along with her mother and wedding photographer. ‘I didn't even look in a mirror at myself, walked straight out of the hotel with one thing on my mind - my Dad,’ Jackson said.
At the hospital, Jackson showed Leslie her wedding dress and the pair slow danced to This Dance by Scott Thomas Laughridge. Footage captured the moment. ‘I just fought back my tears for my Dad because I thought I can't cry,’ Jackson said. ‘He kept saying sorry to me.’
Jackson said hospital staff helped make the visit special, and she thought some patients got pictures as well. After the visit, her five-year-old son Maxie gave her away on behalf of his grandfather, and her brothers were also present. ‘I felt really happy we finally did it,’ Jackson said.
Leslie has since been discharged and is recovering at home. He said: ‘It was a very emotional day for us all. Happiness for my daughter Sinèad, as well as sadness at not being able to attend. We're all really grateful for the [hospital staff's] kind efforts in arranging this visit which allowed us to all celebrate together.’