Thirteen years ago, Dorothy Roberts, now 89 years old, moved to Isabella Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation in Washington Heights. Since then, her daughter, Robyn, would visit her every Sunday. When the pandemic hit, certain adjustments were made regarding visitations. So, when restrictions were eased, the mother and daughter would chat from the opposite side of the nursing home's ground-floor window for 30 minutes.
However, Robyn's last visit to her mom was a special one, not only because it is her 52nd birthday, but also because it's the day she and Tim Williams get married. On that particular day, Dorothy sat behind a window to witness her daughter being married outside the facility's small garden. Unfortunately, Tim's mother, also a senior citizen herself, cannot travel from Florida to attend the wedding.
How the idea came about
She came up with the idea during one of her visits and saw the spot where they get to have the window visit. She then thought the area would be perfect for holding the small ceremony. They will just have a couple of family members and a few other people, and that's it.
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She then shared the idea with the center's director of therapeutic recreation, Jessica Garcia-Robinson. She was glad and excited, Robyn said. The next step was for the Administrators at the Isabella Center to review the regulations set for by the Department of Health. The center also needs to get approval from the parent company, MJHS Health.
To marry outside the nursing home's garden wasn't really the initial plan but to Robyn, having her mother present during the ceremony was an "absolute priority." It was the only reason that they held the ceremony there, she told Patch. She added that it is the first time that she is getting married, so it has always been her prayer that her mother would be there for her 52nd birthday and her wedding.
Everyone got on board
In early September, they were given the go-ahead, and so the couple and the rest of the family started planning the October 10th wedding. They were pressed for time since they didn't have the wedding dress and suits yet. "We didn't have anything," she recalled.
Dorothy's "family" at the Isabella Center was there to help, though. Speaking to Patch, Garcia-Robinson said that they consider Dorothy's family like their family and that it was their privilege to have done it for them. So, on October 10, 2020, with the Isabella Center staff's help, Dorothy got dressed on the day of the ceremony, complete with makeup and her favorite set of jewelry.
While they initially planned to have a small ceremony, the Washington Heights community also witnessed the couple exchange vows. Only ten people were in the garden, but they were amazed by the celebration around them, Robyn said.
She said it was just incredible to see people on the street, in their cars, and outside the windows and their apartment buildings. Everything happened organically, she added, and they didn't plan for any of it to happen.
