​Grab Those Tissues: Paralyzed Bride Walks Down the Aisle at Her Wedding

In 2008, Gina Giaffoglione was involved in a car accident that left her paralyzed from the waist down. Giaffoglione, an accomplished athlete, maintained her fitness after the accident and started coaching. She then met John Springhower, who after dating a while, proposed in 2012. That’s when she decided that for her wedding, she wanted to walk down the aisle alongside her father. Via People:

“I told her, ‘Whether we roll down that aisle or whether we walk down that aisle, we’re going to do this.’ It’s been her dream,” said Gina’s dad, Gary Giaffoglione.

Gina underwent a year and a half of physical therapy, working to straighten her body and walk with the aid of a brace and a crutch. Prosthetic specialists streamlined her leg brace so that it could neatly hide under her wedding gown. On top of that, she kept it all a secret. Only her immediate family and her fiancé knew about the progress she was making.

I can only imagine the emotions her guests were feeling when they watched Gina walk for the first time in six years down the aisle. But let’s be honest, I’m already v. emotional over this. It’s pretty amazing to watch her hard work in action—even if that video is only four and a half minutes.