SAGINAW, MI — Jamijo Gilbert was planning a June wedding.

Though she and her fiance Tim Carter, 39, of Bridgeport envisioned a small event, her mother Jody Garrett had other ideas.

“She wanted to go all out,” said Gilbert, 28, of Saginaw Township, noting that she’s an only child. “We went and looked at the Golden Glow and liked it and put down a deposit.”

But when the family learned that Garrett’s gallbladder cancer was terminal, the couple decided to speed things up.

The wedding took place at Covenant HealthCare in Saginaw at about 4:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 4.

The bride wore an ivory dress and veil. Their daughters Aubree, 6, and Sydnee, 4, were flower girls.

A few dozen people — family, friends, hospital staff — gathered in and around Covenant's small chapel where the couple were married by Chaplain Bob Koch.

On Thursday, Gilbert said her mother, who is a breast cancer survivor, had mixed feelings about the impromptu wedding.

“Honestly, I think at first it kind of shocked her and upset her because she thought I was losing hope,” Gilbert said. “And I had explained to her that I’m not losing hope, I still have hope and I pray for miracles, but I’d rather be safe than sorry.

“In June, when she is still here, we’ll have the big one.”

After the ceremony, guests gathered for a reception in the hospital cafeteria.

“It was beautiful,” said Bill Surian, Garrett’s life partner. “She (Jody) smiled pretty much through the whole thing.”

Garrett said she was happy to be surrounded by friends and family on her daughter's wedding day.

“It's always a mother's dream to see her little girl get married,” she said after the ceremony. “...She was beautiful.”

Garrett also expressed her appreciation for the staff at Covenant.

“I want the entire community to know the fantastic care I've gotten here,” she said. “...They deserve a gold medal.”

There is a benefit fund for Jody Garrett at PNC Bank to help pay for medical bills and other expenses. Donations also can be made online at

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— Heather Jordan covers business for MLive/The Saginaw News/Bay City Times. She can be reached at 989-450-2652 or hjordan@mlive.com. Follow her on Twitter and Facebook.