FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM JULY 2, 2020 • BUZZ • THE QUEENS COURIER 39
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Photo courtesy of Northwell Health
Two Astoria healthcare workers get married
during special ceremony on TODAY show
Baral’s LIJ Forest
Hills coworkers celebrate
the couple’s
nuptial.
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
cmohamed@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
Two frontline nurses from Astoria
shared their love with the world as they
tied the knot during a live wedding ceremony
on NBC’s TODAY show on June 25.
Vanessa Baral, 27, a fl oat nurse from
Long Island Jewish Forest Hills Hospital,
and Herwyn Silva, 28, a nurse at Lenox
Hill Hospital, were married by TODAY
co-anchor and ordained minister Hoda
Kotb as the couple’s coworkers held watch
parties for the ceremony at both hospitals.
NBC is sending the newlywed couple to
Fiji for their honeymoon.
“It defi nitely caught us by surprise. We
still can’t believe it and we’re still processing
it,” the couple told QNS. “We went
back to work and everyone said, ‘You’re
going to Fiji!’ We are defi nitely in disbelief
and excited to take a trip next year.’”
NBC had contacted Lenox Hill Hospital
asking if there were healthcare workers
that had marriage plans aff ected by
the coronavirus pandemic. According to
Silva, his manager or supervisor sent the
couple’s information, which then led to
a phone interview for a wedding on live
television.
“We were in disbelief. Vanessa was next
to me during that phone call and started
falling onto the fl oor,” Silva said. “We still
can’t believe it happened and we’re just so
thankful.”
Th e couple’s May nuptials
were postponed by
the pandemic. In early
April, Baral began
feeling tired and came
down with the
virus aft er treating
patients
at LIJ Forest
Hills.
Baral had
suff ered shortness
of breath,
a dry cough,
diarrhea, and a
loss of smell and
taste, she said.
“It was a diffi -
cult time period.
I’m glad
that I never had
to be hospitalized,”
Baral said.
“I didn’t want the
virus to progress
and I kept telling
myself ‘you better
fi ght this.’”
Silva said he
was thankful that
he didn’t become
sick but was worried
about Vanessa. “I get
worried sometimes
especially with loved
ones,” Silva said. “I
try to protect myself
as best as I can at
work because we
all know where the
virus lives.”
F o l l o w i n g
Baral’s successful
recovery and then tying the knot on television
two months later, the couple said
their “hearts feel so full with the whole
experience” and are glad their coworkers
and family were able to witness the ceremony.
“Th e whole crew at the TODAY show
were very welcoming and they made it
feel so much easier,” the couple said. “We
are really thankful to be healthy and to
have the opportunity to share our love
with everyone.”
Silva’s coworkers at Lenox Hill Hospital cheer on the newlyweds.
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