Happy surprise amid battle

Yu Jinghai and Zhou Lingyi — who both work as nurses at the intensive care unit in Leishenshan Hospital in Wuhan, Hubei province, epicenter of the novel coronavirus outbreak — got a big surprise on Friday after they finished their work at 5 pm.

When they took off their protective clothing and left the ward as usual, they were greeted by their colleagues and taken to a venue in the hospital where a special wedding ceremony was awaiting them.

Yu, the 25-year-old groom, and Zhou, the 24-year-old bride, work for the Renji Hospital in Shanghai. When medical workers from across the country pitched in to support Wuhan in the fight against the epidemic, they offered their services.

Due to the outbreak, they had to cancel the wedding ceremony they had planned at a hotel in Shanghai on Friday.

They arrived in Wuhan on Feb 19 as members of the Shanghai medical team and are responsible for nursing critically-ill patients at the ICU in Leishenshan Hospital.

Yu said that the wedding ceremony was totally unexpected. “The ceremony was simple but very warm,” he said. “We work hard every day in the hospital. This is something that makes us feel happy.”

Zhou said that she is grateful to the hospital for the unexpected ceremony. “Our colleagues strictly kept this secret from us and I was totally surprised. At such a trying time, it’s very kind and considerate of them to prepare the wedding for us. I feel extraordinarily happy today,” she said.

Many medical workers came to extend their best wishes to the couple. Wang Xinghuan, president of the hospital, praised the couple who are braving the risk of infection to help people in Wuhan.

“At such a challenging time, we don’t have a wedding gown for the bride, but she is still the most beautiful bride even if she wears protective clothing,” Wang said. “They are extraordinary because of their courage.”

He said that the wedding held in the hospital for the young couple was meaningful to him and would be in his memory for ever.

The couple said they are happy to have a chance to contribute to the fight against the epidemic as all nations are striving to win the battle.

Over 40,000 medical workers have been dispatched to Hubei province since the start of the outbreak, according to the National Health Commission.

ZHU XINGXIN / CHINA DAILY Yu Jinghai (center right) and Zhou Lingyi (center left), two Shanghai nurses working at Leishenshan Hospital in Wuhan, Hubei province, attend a surprise wedding ceremony given for them on Friday by their coworkers at the hospital, which was built for novel coronavirus pneumonia patients. The couple had to cancel their ceremony in Shanghai when they went to Wuhan to help.