BRIDE: “My grandma couldn’t be at my wedding, so I showed up at the hospital in my wedding dress”
When blushing bride Jessica Colalillo’s 88-year-old-grandmother, Gemma Russo, was unable to attend her wedding after a nasty fall sent her to the hospital, they both were devastated.
But Colalillo simply couldn’t imagine celebrating without her beloved Nonna,
And so, on the day of the wedding, she and groom Adam, 31, showed up at Juravinski Hospital in Hamilton, Ontario, straight from the ceremony — in full regalia.
“She was hysterical, she was so happy,” Colalillo, from Canada, told SWNS.
“I am sure she was upset she couldn’t come but nonetheless she was happy to see me in the dress,” she said.
Jessica was fully clad in her flowing white dress and veil, and Adam dressed in his tuxedo.
The thoughtful twosome invited 370 of their closest family and friends to celebrate their vows on Aug. 26.
The newlyweds made the stop on their way to take wedding photos together.
The visit had been a surprise for the grandmother, with the couple alerting hospital staff just one day beforehand.
“When we stepped out of the car, she was speaking Italian, she was so happy and proud,” Jessica said of the special moment.
“She was so excited to see me and my husband together.”
Growing up, Jessica spent a lot of time with Nonna, as she was an only child to two working parents.
Just three weeks before Colalillo’s big day, the 88-year-old suffered a fall while getting ready for bed, which resulted in her having to stay in the hospital.
Although the couple were betting that Nonna would still be able to participate, the grandmother-of-six suffered from severe mobility issues as a result of the accident and subsequently became bed-bound.
“That’s when we made the decision that she wasn’t able to come but that we would go and see her,” Colalillo said.
“It was an upsetting three weeks,” she admitted. “She [had] waited for this day, to see me get married.”
The wedding came nearly two years after the couple were engaged in Positano, Italy, back in September 2021.
Thankfully, Russo was able to attend Jessica’s bridal shower, held just before her unlucky fall.
Now, the octogenarian is finally out of the hospital, on her way to recovery.
“Nonna is out of hospital now and in a rehab center. I saw her last week and she is able to sit up and feed herself,” Jessica said.
“She is improving little by little which is really good.”
