A terminally ill father who has been given six to 12 months to live has married the love of his life in a “reality TV show-style wedding” thanks to his local hospice.
John McMahon, a 59-year-old former assistant manager for Glasgow City Council who is currently staying at Marie Curie Hospice in Glasgow, was diagnosed with cancer in 2020.
After some initial treatment, doctors told John there was nothing more they could do until the opportunity for radiotherapy arose last year, giving him hope. However, one month later the “unbearable” pain returned in his right lung, and in February this year John was told the cancer is terminal and he has six to 12 months to live.
Having met his soulmate Julie Burnett, a 55-year-old housekeeper, just five years ago, and with time “short”, the couple decided to get married early and have the ceremony at the Marie Curie Hospice in June.
The wedding was arranged in just five days and featured a Victoria sponge cake, a floral archway, confetti and a full buffet courtesy of the hospice chef, with John wearing a black suit and Julie wearing pink.
“It was such a joyous occasion – I got to marry the woman I love,” John, who has three children called Iain, Liam and Shannon, told PA Real Life.
“I couldn’t believe that the hospice could or would do this for us and pull all the right strings to make it happen and make it possible. It gave us some kind of normality to have a proper wedding exactly as we wanted. They went above and beyond what should be done or needed to be done to make it special.”
Sharing his advice to others, he added: “Make as many memories as you can with the people you love and take life one day at a time.”
John, who is from Glasgow, received his cancer diagnosis in 2020 – although he does not wish to specify which type. He underwent treatment, but this was unsuccessful, and doctors told him there was nothing further that could be done.
“Last year I was given the chance for some radiotherapy and they thought the tumour had gone. A month later the pain recurred and I was told in February this year the cancer was terminal and I would have six to 12 months to live.
“I remember it was St Patrick’s Day when they told me – we hoped the radiotherapy had done its job but I knew something wasn’t right, so I addressed the elephant in the room.”
John and his now-wife Julie were neighbours in a block of six houses in Glasgow and would often “say hello” to each other on the path outside. They met around five years ago and, after chatting at length one day, John invited her out for a meal at The Crystal Palace Wetherspoons, where he had a mixed grill and she had fish and chips.
Speaking about the words he would use to describe Julie, he said: “Love, life, soul.” He added: “Julie has a heart of gold and doesn’t realise it. She has always stood by me and we have the same sense of humour.”
John said he knew Julie was “the one” when he met her parents and she offered to help him cut his steak as he was unable to due to mobility issues.
He then proposed to her informally at The Crystal Palace in August 2020, before getting down on one knee “properly” at home later that evening. Given John’s prognosis, the couple had been discussing marriage and they decided to bring the date forward to June 14 2024.
After conversations with hospice chaplain Carol Telfer and other staff, it was decided that the couple would have the wedding ceremony at the Marie Curie Hospice – and everything was arranged in just five days.
John said: “I wanted to tie up loose ends and make sure Julie would be safe and ensure she was financially secure. I love her and want to do everything possible to protect her.”
With pink decorations, flowers, a cake, sandwiches and a professional photographer who offered his time for free, John said they were able to have a “reality TV show-style wedding” with friends and family.
He even refers to the hospice staff as his “extended family” now and said they enabled him and Julie to have the “perfect” day.
He said: “It was very emotional – Carol made it intimate and as special as possible. Through her dedication and experience and everyone’s help, they managed to give us a proper reality TV show-style wedding. We felt like total stars.”
John said he was first brought into Marie Curie Hospice in Glasgow in March this year to manage his pain, as it has been “unbearable” in recent months.
He said he initially believed that “you went into the hospice to die”, but receiving care in a peaceful and calming environment has alleviated his concerns – and the hospice has now become his “safety net”. With the time he has left, he hopes to spend as much time as possible with Julie, family, and friends and wants to continue making memories.
“I take every day as it comes, I know I can’t plan ahead. I’m not sure I’ll make it home again, but I’d love one last fishing trip to Balloch. I hope to die in the night in the hospice. I don’t want my wife to have to watch me die, and I know I’m safe here – I have people who care.”
Carol, the hospice chaplain, said: “John and Julie’s wedding was wonderful. Getting married was very important to John, and when he was admitted to the hospice, he thought they’d missed the chance.
“We were able to say: ‘You can still have your wedding and we can still make it special for you’. He was absolutely delighted. He and Julie were so excited and positive.
“I was so touched by John’s determination to stand when Julie walked into the room and for their vows. Despite this being very difficult due to his illness, he saw it as a way of showing his love and respect.”
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