Bride's big day made even more special as mum beats cancer to make wedding

PICTURED: Ashley Davies and her husband Steven Thomas on their wedding day.

A bride raised a toast at her wedding to four Swansea Bay staff for ensuring her mum was able to watch her walk down the aisle on her special day.

Ashley Davies and her partner Steven Thomas tied the knot at the Towers Hotel in Swansea last weekend, but the bride was keen for the spotlight to be on her mum Kelly and the health board staff she said saved her life.

K elly has been undergoing treatment for the past three years, including surgery and chemotherapy, after being diagnosed with mucinous ovarian cancer - a rare type of ovarian cancer.

The happy couple were due to get married earlier this year, but delayed it to ensure Kelly would be well enough to watch her daughter exchange vows.

PICTURED: Kelly Davies, pictured at daughter Ashley's wedding, has praised the Swansea Bay staff who helped her through a cancer diagnosis.

Ashley broke tradition to give a bride’s speech to talk about the importance of having her mum in attendance, while highlighting the quality care and treatment given by Nicholas Gill, Consultant Urologist; Rachel Jones, Consultant Oncologist; Kerryn Lutchman-Singh, Consultant Gynaecological Oncologist and Nagindra Das, Consultant Gynaecology Oncologist.

Ashley, a stroke secretary based in Morriston Hospital, said: “My mum has been through a lot in the last three years, and it was so important to myself and Steven that she was there to watch us get married.

“I could never have imagined having to get married without my mother by my side. At one point, there was a strong possibility that this would have been the case.

“Without every single person that has helped care for my mother in one way or another, she would not have been with me for my wedding day. Their amazing care, compassion and support has really gotten us through what has been an awful few years.

“Part of my speech was on my mum and what she has been through, and how she has come through it all without letting it get her down.

“I then talked about the amazing consultants and what they have done for my mum and my family – and we raised a toast to them all.

“It was not only the care they showed, but the compassion too. They talked through everything, never rushed us and made us feel confident in what the next step was and were clear in what that involved. Being an NHS worker myself, I realise how stretched the NHS can be, but I experienced how amazing the NHS is through the care my mum received and the support I’ve had. I’m really proud to work for the NHS.”

Previously a carer for Swansea Council, Kelly initially attended Morriston’s Emergency Department after having experienced pains similar to a hernia.

PICTURED: Rachel Jones, Consultant Oncologist, was among the staff Kelly and Ashley praised.

Scans discovered she had mucinous ovarian cancer, and Kelly underwent chemotherapy at Singleton Hospital along with surgeries at Morriston and Neath Port Talbot.

It was three years before Kelly had the all clear, after experiencing two reoccurrences shortly after surgery. Kelly then ended up back in hospital in April 2025 after contracting sepsis, which left her in intensive care.

Despite that, she was well enough to make the big day.

Kelly is now having regular check-ups since being given the all clear from cancer in December 2024.

While she is keen to move on from her cancer battle, she will not forget those who helped her during her treatment.

Kelly said: “I can’t thank everyone who has been involved in my care enough, but Nick, Nagindra, Rachel and Kerryn have been absolutely fantastic. I must mention Kelly Crowe (Surgical Care Practitioner) and Faye Jeavons (Urology Clinical Nurse Specialist) for just being such wonderful people. I owe my life to them all.

“The Chemotherapy Day Unit in Singleton Hospital and the nurses on that ward were amazing. You would think the ward would be a sad, gloomy place but it’s far from that. Carolyne Paddison (health care support worker) makes the ward such a funny place to be - every ward needs a Carolyne as she’s fantastic and can’t do enough for all the patients there.

“Everyone involved in my care meant I could watch my daughter walk down the aisle and get married, which meant the world to me.”