The Wedding that Almost Didn’t Happen

“Everyone at the wedding hall was looking for the bride. I told them I was bringing someone else!” While Moshiko Pesach can joke now, his wedding day, almost 2-years ago, was no joke.

He and his future wife, Sarit, had already postponed their wedding day due to COVID restrictions. When the happy day finally arrived, Sarit was six months pregnant.

But ten minutes into their pre-chuppah photo session, Sarit’s water broke, and Moshiko raced her to Assuta Ashdod.

“We wound up at Assuta Ashdod because we were staying at a hotel in Ashdod for the wedding. But I’m glad, from every aspect possible. I trusted them with my eyes shut.”

Because at 24 weeks, Sarit was in labor. With twins.

While Sarit’s sister and good friends waited outside her hospital room dressed in their wedding garb, their make-up smeared from all the tears, Moshiko rushed to the hall to calm his guests.

“Can we at least take her out of the hospital for the chuppah?” they wondered.

But now classified as high-risk, the doctors replied firmly, “Absolutely not.”

Nobody likes a no. But Moshiko’s aunt had an idea.

“If the wedding can’t happen in the hall, let’s bring the wedding to the hospital!”

Moshiko, dressed in his tuxedo, along with the fathers, the rabbi and the witnesses arrived at Assuta Ashdod while the mothers remained in the hall with the guests. And with special permission from the hospital, they performed the wedding ceremony inside the maternity ward and broadcast it live to guests in the reception hall.

The photographer snapped photos, and Assuta Ashdod’s doctors and nurses congratulated the couple, joining this unusual hospital event, adding the ruach (energetic and celebratory spirit) required at a wedding. At 11 pm, Moshiko returned to the hall to dance with his guests.

But while Moshiko was over the moon, Sarit sat in the hospital. Although she wasn't having contractions, her condition was serious. So she watched Moshiko via livestream video as their friends, dancing the hora under the disco lights lifted him up on a chair. She laughed and cried simultaneously — excited to be married but sad because she was missing her own wedding.

Sarit remained in the hospital for an entire month, her movements restricted to a few short walks per day. The head of Assuta’s Ashodod’s NICU, Dr. Omer Globus, prepared her for preemies.

And at 29 weeks and four days, Sarit went into active labor. With breech babies, the labor and delivery were difficult. Unfortunately, Moshiko was still at work when Sarit finally delivered her twin baby boys via emergency c-section.

“When I arrived at the hospital, I saw these scary looking babies. They were so tiny at just over a kilo each.”

It was a rocky first year with many check-ups and medical surprises. One of the twins contracted a life threatening virus and was hospitalized on a ventilator for a month.

But today, all is well. The twins are thriving and hitting all their developmental milestones.

Moshiko and Sarit can now express their relief and joy to be married with their beautiful, healthy twins in their arms.

In fact, Sarit is overflowing with gratitude.

“All my births will be at Assuta Ashdod without a doubt. And they’ll be on time! “ she smiles. “Just plain, boring births!”