Thai cancer patient gets "last wish" wedding

Feb 4, 2012, 2:51 GMT

Bangkok - A terminally-ill breast cancer patient was granted her 'last wish' when she wed her Australian boyfriend of seven years at a Thai hospital, news reports said Saturday.

Kung, 41, and Australian national Damien Messner, 46, held a traditional Thai wedding on Friday - World Cancer Day - at Pathum Thani Hospital's Quality of Life Care Unit as part of the ward's 'last wish' programme for terminally ill patients, the Bangkok Post reported.

'I'm very happy today,' said Kung, whose full name was not disclosed. Kung was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2011 and the disease has reached the terminal stage, according to doctors.

The couple met seven years ago in Australia where Kung was working as an accountant at a Chinese restaurant. A series of mishaps postponed their marriage, although they have had a son and daughter together.

'Once I found out that Kung's cancer had moved to the brain, I got here as fast as I could and one of my prime objectives for this trip was to finalize the wedding,' Messner said.

Kung was checked out of the hospital Friday to spend her remaining days with her family members.

'Medically, it says no, but I have faith that we'll always be together,' Messner said.

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in Thailand, claiming about 20 per cent of all deaths each year.