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Morristown Medical Center

Heroic Hospital Staff Marries Couple Seconds Before Baby Is Born

There are just some moments that you'll carry with you your whole life. For most, those moments include special occasions like the birth of a first child or a wedding. For one pair of newlyweds, those two milestones recently came as an unexpected package deal, making for a memory like no other: The New Jersey couple married seconds before their first baby was born, and the story will make your heart swell. None of it would have been possible without the support of hospital staff, who were ready and willing to help.

Michael Gallardo and Marie Margaritondo were in the process of planning an intimate wedding, set to take place a few weeks before their son's projected due date, according to Patch. When their baby decided to come early, the couple was forced to change course. Margaritondo didn't want to list her future-husband as "fiance" on their son's birth certificate, so she asked hospital staff at Morristown Medical Center if there was any chance she and her beau could marry in the hospital. Patch reported that they already had a marriage license, so they just needed to go through the process of saying their I dos to make things official.

Helpful hospital staffers — namely the nurses assisting Maragaritondo in her delivery — quickly got to work putting together a wedding for the pair. Margaritondo's husband told Patch one nurse was busy trying to get ordained, while another picked flowers outside for a bouquet. Through it all, other nurses were monitoring the mother-to-be and her son's vital signs, ensuring that all was well.

"They were like angels, meant to be there," Gallardo told the New Jersey outlet, adding, "It was like a real ceremony. Our moms were there. We had flowers. We exchanged vows. It was beautiful."

Morristown Medical Center

Less than a minute after Gallardo kissed his bride, she underwent a C-section, NBC affiliate WTHR reported. Their baby boy was brought into the world quickly, and got to join his parents in celebrating their special day. According to the outlet, Michael Preston Gallardo was born on Memorial Day.

"We could not be more blessed and more grateful," Margaritondo told WTHR. "I can't believe this is our story."

Morristown Medical Center tells Romper their dedicated nurses teamed up to make Margaritondo and Gallardo's special moment that much better. A spokesperson for the facility adds that at Morristown Medical Center, they're always pushing "to provide extraordinary caring," and that's just what they did for this couple.

“Our dedicated team of Morristown Medical Center nurses worked together to help make what was already a special moment for the new family, one that they will never forget,” Diana N. Contreras, MD, MPH, chairman of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women’s Health for Atlantic Health System, tells Romper. “We always strive to provide extraordinary caring and accommodate our patient's needs from the minute they know they are having a baby, once they walk through our doors, in the delivery room, and during their stay. This moment is an example of exceptional teamwork that we will all be talking about for a long time.”

The story has garnered hundreds of likes on Morristown Medical Center's Facebook page, prompting an outpouring of love for the nurses who work at the facility. Several commenters shared their own experiences at the hospital, praising the caring and devoted staff.

"Love those nurses at Morristown," one Facebook commenter wrote.

"Beautiful story," another added.

"Love conquers all!" a third chimed in.

"The aides, nurses, transport folks, and employees of this hospital are so indescribably awesome, its hard to find words," another Facebook follower commented. "At some of my most joyful moments, they've been there to make them even more precious. And at some of the most distressing moments in my life, they've literally cared for me so lovingly, it took my breath away."

On their own, these two moments are incredible and unforgettable, but the fact that this couple got to experience them within seconds of one another is something truly special. Hospital staffers do so much more than provide medical care, and deserve all the recognition they can get for that. Congratulations to the happy couple and their beautiful baby boy. One day he'll appreciate his incredible birth story as much as everyone else did.