A seriously ill cardiac patient in Tampa, FL, will participate in his daughter's wedding in Darien, IL, a suburb of Chicago, on June 2, via videoconferencing.

The videoconferencing technology, deployed at both the church in Darien and at Tampa General Hospital in Tampa, FL, will enable 55-year-old William Palmer, a hospital administrator with the James A. Haley Veterans Hospital in Tampa, and currently on the heart transplant waiting list in Tampa, to participate in his daughter Heather's wedding ceremony. Palmer, on constant medication for congestive heart failure, and fitted with a pacemaker/defibrillator, cannot travel far from Tampa as he awaits a heart transplant.

``Due to his critical condition, we knew my father could not attend the wedding in person,'' says Heather Palmer. ``Our first thought was for me to walk down the aisle with a cell phone. But with the videoconferencing technology, I'll get to have my dad there, to see and hear him.''

``Tampa General Hospital uses videoconferencing technology [by PictureTel Corporation] on a closed network for physician teaching conferences, including live surgeries, as part of its continuing medical education curriculum,'' says Rita St. Clair, director of distance learning and telemedicine, Tampa General Hospital. ``However, this is the hospital's first request to assist a patient in this way. Without PictureTel's involvement, the hospital could not have offered Mr. Palmer the opportunity to participate in his daughter's wedding. Tampa General is delighted to participate in this very special day where memories will be made.''

PictureTel Corporation has donated the state-of-the-art videoconferencing technology, for use by the Palmer family. The PictureTel systems will allow the bride, groom, and guests, to see, hear, and interact with her father in Tampa - while at the same time, he is able to see, hear, and interact with those in the church in Darien.