Eight years ago, Jaquie Goncher became paralyzed from the neck down after a swimming pool accident. In May, the Marietta, Georgia, woman surprised her wedding guests when she walked down the aisle to meet her groom.
Goncher, 25, had been an active high schooler who played fast-pitch softball when she was injured, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
“I can remember floating face down, and I thought I was going to die,” Goncher told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
She was given a slim chance of walking again, but refused to let a wheelchair change her life.
After becoming engaged to her now-husband, Andy Goncher, Jacquie was set on walking down the aisle and dancing on her wedding day, but her low blood pressure made it impossible for her to stand for more than 30 minutes at a time, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
Working with physical therapists, Jacquie trained on a treadmill and focused on her core strength.
“It was more than physically hard because I was an athlete…I knew how I should be working out,” Jacquie told the newspaper, “And to do it halfway was emotional.”
In May, Jacquie and Andy were married and she walked down the aisle and danced her first dance.
Photos of the wedding by Love Stories by Halie + Alec and a portrait painted live at the event went viral.
“I just felt blessed,” Goncher said. “I’ve been walking through journey of healing for eight years… I had to put my faith in God – it reminded me of how far I have come.”
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