When faced with planning a wedding for people in need, Shailer Park grandmother Jenny Ashen says ‘I do’.
In her spare time, Wedding Wish Brisbane Coordinator Mrs Ashen organises weddings for Australians diagnosed with a terminal illness, giving back to those “going through some of the most difficult times in their lives”.
Mrs Ashen says it is a “privilege” to donate her time to such a worthy cause as the weddings she helps organise provide so much happiness to couples going through an incredibly tough time.
“For me it’s all just the opportunity to be able to help people when they really need it.
“When someone is terminally ill, they don’t have time, money or anything like that to be able to organise a wedding and they just don’t think that they can have one.
“I don’t go into what their illness is, I focus on bringing joy to them in their final moments,” she said.
“They forget all that’s wrong with them and being able to give them the gift of being married, something which they wouldn’t have had time to do, brings so much joy to them.”
Mrs Ashen says most of the time they are “bedside weddings” in hospital and sometimes her clients get married just one day before the family is set to turn off their life support.
“It is sad but it does fill my heart with joy knowing we’ve brought happiness to them in a time of need.
“Other times you’ve got ones where they’ve been told they have only got a few days, maybe a few weeks to live and then you hear later on that they have passed.”
Mrs Ashen says in her role she organises weddings for the terminally ill in sometimes under 24 hours.
“While I’m at the courthouse organising the papers, I’m on the phone trying to find a photographer, someone to do hair and make-up and sometimes a celebrant,” she said.
“We have a lot of dresses and suits that have been donated, so we can help with that too. It can be pulled together within a few hours.
“Depending on how they are, sometimes I might have just 24 hours to pull a wedding together; other times we have the luxury of a week or so.”
Mrs Ashen got her start in the funeral industry, working as a funeral director at Somerville Funeral Homes where she supports those who have lost a loved one.
She then got her marriage licence and became involved in My Wedding Wish through her connection with founder Lynette Maguire.
According to Volunteering Queensland, since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, volunteer numbers have fallen dramatically with more than 70 per cent of volunteers not able to assist during the pandemic.
CEO of Volunteering Queensland says with restrictions now easing, more and more volunteers are coming forward wanting to make a difference.
“Queenslanders are compassionate, generous, and supportive of their local and wider communities.”
My Wedding Wish is a registered national Charity that has been gifting weddings to the terminally ill around Australia since 2013.
