Couple gets married in neonatal unit

A Texas couple walked down the aisle of a Fort Worth hospital's neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) to wed to the whir of medical devices and in front of the guest of honour, their premature baby boy wearing a one-piece tuxedo.

Encouraged by the progress their son J.J. has made since he was born about 15 weeks early at 1 pound and 13 ounces (822 grams), Kristi Warriner and Justin Nelson decided the best place to tie the knot was in the NICU at Cook Children's Hospital.

"It's not what you dream of as a little girl, it's even better," the bride told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram ahead of the Tuesday wedding, attended by hospital staff in scrubs.

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J.J., born on September 2, now weighs 6 pounds, 8 ounces (2.95 kg) and is the surviving identical twin born to the newlyweds. The other twin was stillborn.

The hospital helped arrange the wedding for the couple, who wanted to get married but have been spending almost all of their spare time in the NICU with their son.

"It was pretty touching and emotional knowing what the couple has gone through and overcome," Winifred King, a hospital spokeswoman, said on Wednesday.

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