Losing a child is something that no parent should ever experience. The relationship between a parent and a child is perhaps one of the strongest bonds one can ever have.
The trauma is much more intense since it can be very difficult to let go of all the wonderful memories that you and your child had.
“The death of a child brings with it a range of different and ongoing challenges for the individual and the family. Everyday questions such as ‘How many kids do you have?’ can trigger intense distress,” explains Fiona MacCullum, a professor at the University of Queensland. “Some people do find ways of living with the loss. Others struggle to find meaning in life.”
But still, there are parents who do their best to move on and be happy with their lives, just like Becky Turney who lost her son, Triston, when he was only 19 years old.
During this difficult time, Becky decided to still do good even when she was mourning by donating her son’s organs to those who are in need. She soldiered on and eventually met the man of his dreams and decided to get married.
Heartwarming surprise
At their wedding, Becky and her soon-to-be husband Kelly reserved an empty seat for Becky’s son Triston. They left a sign on the chair, which reads:
“I’m in heaven for your wedding so what shall I do? I’ll come down to earth to spend it with you. So save me a seat, just one empty chair. You may not see me but I will be there.”
While this message was heartwarming enough, Kelly had something even more touching in mind.
Just before the wedding ceremony began, a young man named Jacob arrived and was introduced to the bride. Becky immediately knew who he was and everyone was all smiles when they learned that he was Triston’s heart recipient.
Jacob flew all the way from San Diego to be with Becky on her special day. As tears were rushing down her face, Becky listened to her son’s heartbeat and said in an interview:
“That whole day, I couldn’t understand why I couldn’t stop crying,” Becky said of the hours leading up to the ceremony. “Now I know why. My son’s presence was there.”
The loving couple’s wedding day became even more beautiful with Kelly’s wonderful surprise. All of the guests were touched, including the millions of people who have watched their viral video online.
Some of the comments were:
“My father (stepdad) passed away of heart disease almost a year ago. He was also an organ and tissue donor. The doctor told us that in total, my dad lives on in a small way helping 12 people. Thank you for this great story.”
“I rarely cry over a YouTube video, but this one got me. What a wonderful husband. To be able to hear her son’s heart again.”
Someone even shared the same experience:
“My son was a heart transplant recipient and we as a family met our son’s donor family in 2008. He died in 2010, but the gift Jarrod gave Lee lasted from 2002 until 2010, seven years and 4 months of life! We took our stethoscope and Jarrod’s parents & sister got to hear Jarrod’s heart in Lee’s chest. We miss both boys!!”
Kelly spoke out about the story, saying that while he wanted to surprise his wife, he also wanted to raise awareness about organ donations and encourage families to meet recipients of the organs their loved ones have donated.
“It’s the most selfless act you can do for another person. And we would encourage other families of donors and recipients to reach out, because there’s a lot of healing that goes on.”
Watch the heartwarming video below.
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