TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Christmas came early for a 77-year-old woman in Tucson when a group of high school students made her one wish come true.

Christmas is Nancy Mattern’s favorite holiday.

“It just brings out the part of people that you don’t see the rest of the year,” she said.

She’s been collecting Christmas decorations for 40 years. But ever since she got COVID, she hasn't been able to put them up.

“It put me in this position, it affected my heart and my lungs," Mattern said. "And to be able to do the little things now is really hard.”

Nancy’s daughter, Trina Mattern, has a work injury that also makes it difficult to decorate.

“It's been very heartbreaking to see her so sad during the holidays because we couldn’t put up any decorations for her,” Trina Mattern said.

This year, eight of Santa’s helpers wanted to change that. They’re all a part of University High School’s Dreamcatchers. The group grants wishes for patients in hospice care.

“Working together to create each dream has been a really special experience to me,” said Kristin Jung, a Dreamcatcher at University High School.

The group put up all of Mattern's indoor and outdoor decorations.

“It's what Christmas is about, it's about giving," she said. "And to be able to have my Christmas decorations up is something I thought was over and done with, but these kids, with their big hearts, are making it happen.”

This story was originally reported by Perla Shaheen on kgun9.com.

LEBANON, Ohio — Bobbie “BJ” McKnight-Privette and Robert Privette’s love is one for the story books -- a prince and a princess pledging their love. But it’s not nearly as beautiful as the real-life BJ and Robert and how the community came together to give them a fairy-tale wedding.

Before their perfect wedding moment, COVID-19 rules meant we met them in a parking lot outside the Lebanon Health Care Center, where they’re living out their days. But what ails them -- his kidneys are failing as is her liver -- are not their focus.

It turns out stealing each other’s heart has been so much sweeter.

“It's hard to explain… yet it's not because it's just the way she makes me feel,” Robert, 46, said. “When I'm around her, I'm happy.”

The two never thought they’d meet someone and fall in love in hospice. It all started with a Mountain Dew: Robert brought the soda to BJ’s room after he heard her wish for one.

“He has such a soft, sweet spirit about him,” BJ, 44, said.

All the love and laughter since inspired folks at Vitas Health Care to rise to the fairy godmother occasion.

“They just captured our heart from the minute we met them… so we wanted to make this day special,” said Stephanie Kozakiewicz, Vitas Hospice social worker.

Tapping into their inner Cinderella, they took the "I do" planning to social media.

"There are so many angels working together to make this a dream come true,” said Lynda Anello, community liaison for Vitas Health Care Cincinnati.

She said lots of those angels came from the Ohio Nurses Network. Those people who care for a living extended their TLC to the happy couple, first in the form of donated dresses for the best kind of “something borrowed.”

And the love kept coming from them, from Vitas and from the community. When word of a hospice wedding got out, the city of Lebanon offered to let the happy couple wed in a park gazebo for free.

People also donated decorating time, a cake for the Mr. and Mrs. with cupcake versions for the guests, the bouquet, and BJ’s wedding headpiece and makeup. Someone also volunteered to preside over the ceremony.

Tears of joy flowed as BJ and Robert vowed to be good to one another and to be there for one another in sickness and in health.

For Robert, who gets perhaps more precious time because of dialysis, it's simple: Nothing is guaranteed. You can die tomorrow, so that’s why you live today making the most of every moment.

He and BJ say hospice shouldn't stop that.

“We've helped each other to not only stop giving up on living...but to start living again,” BJ said. “Laugh every day. Love every day.”