Her Son Donated His Heart, But Mom Got to Hear It Again One More Time
When bride Becky walked down the aisle, she had no way of knowing her deceased son would make an appearance.
The Alaskan wilderness was a beautiful backdrop for Becky and groom Kelly Turney’s wedding, but all attention was on one special person, and it wasn’t the bride. Jacob Kilby, the honorary groomsman, brought Becky a unique gift on her wedding—the sound of her son’s heartbeat. When Becky’s son Triston Green died at only 19, he saved the lives of five other people by donating his organs.
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Amber Lanphier, the founder of the Alaska-based wedding photography service Love Adventured, captured the emotional reunion in a series of viral photos.
“I knew about this surprise but nothing prepares you for the beauty of this moment,” she wrote in a Facebook post she shared with the Love What Matters Facebook group.
“When he announced Jacob was in the crowd my jaw dropped, I couldn’t believe it! I squealed like a little girl, jumped up and down, and couldn’t wait to embrace him,” bride Kelly told Babble.
One of Lanphier’s most powerful photos is of Kelly listening to her son’s heartbeat with a stethoscope. For Becky this is no doubt a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but in Kilby’s face you can see the immense gratitude he feels for Kelly and her son Triston’s sacrifices.
“I had the pleasure of hearing Jacob share his gratitude and plans for a heart healthy life to Triston’s sister before the ceremony,” Lanphier wrote in her post. “I am so blown away by his story and his amazing outlook on life. You couldn’t ask for a better recipient to receive such a gift.”
On her Facebook, Becky thanked Jacob, calling it “Hands down the best gift…most amazing surprise ever!! Thank you for caring for Triston’s heart. Thank you for being here! Thank you thank you thank you!”
h/t Huffington Post
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