Wounded deputy marries in Seattle hospital

Hospital release date remains unknown

SEATTLE - Clutching a walker, Grant County deputy Earl Romig married his fiancee Tami Canfield Sunday at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.

Just 17 days earlier while coyote hunting, an off-duty Romig was seriously injured after being shot in the back with a high-powered hunting rifle near Soap Lake and was left lying in the snow injured.

But Sunday came and went with a hospital wedding neither Earl, 26, nor Tami, 20, expected.

They planned a wedding for June 7, but decided to marry earlier so Earl will have double insurance coverage through Tami's job as an administrative assistant.

Holding the ceremony early created mixed emotions for the couple, she said.

"It wasn't how both of us pictured the wedding to be," Tami said. "He made it through this and lived. It made it such a more special experience."

Tami wore a white sweater, jeans and a veil. Earl was clad in sweats and a T-shirt. A group of about 20 family members and friends attended.

He didn't want to sit in a wheelchair and used a walker during the brief ceremony led by Pastor Paul Ellis, a former Grant County chaplain for police and fire agencies.

Ellis, now in Lacey, has been at the family's side since the shooting, said Tami's father Dave Canfield.

"The ceremony was a very wet affair, the word of the day was 'Kleenex,'" he said. "It was a really emotional time for all of us that were there."

A ceremony in Ephrata is still planned for June so Earl will have something to look forward to and work toward, Tami said.

Earl has battled pain in the hospital since the late winter afternoon when he was found lying in the snow.

The bullet tore through his back and exited through his stomach, causing internal injuries and nerve damage to his right leg.

It was initially believed his leg would be paralyzed, but nerves are beginning to awaken. He recently swung the leg while using a walker.

Tami said they don't know when Earl will be released from the hospital. He was moved to the rehab unit Tuesday where is expected to remain for about 14 days.

He hasn't been alone in his recovery.

"The support from the (Columbia) Basin has uplifted them and carried them a long way," Canfield said.

Tami, his mother Lynn Romig and Dave Canfield, both of Ephrata, have rotated shifts to be at his side.

A police officer stands watch at his hospital room door 24 hours a day to make sure he feels secure, Tami said. Visitors from home have also stopped by.

The family's received donations, including helpful items like Safeway gift cards for food.

A Web site chronicling Earl's hospitalization and recovery has also been a source of strength for him, Tami said.

Postings are read aloud nightly to him, she said.

"Just people leaving notes on the Web site has helped a lot," she added.