Every now and again you read a story that reminds you how truly beautiful life is. And this wedding surprise for a grieving momma is one of those stories. Becky had no idea that her wedding day would hold a surprise she would never forget. Until an unexpected wedding guest helped her reunite with her late son!
The Selfless Gift
Becky Turney’s wedding day to the love of her life Kelly had come after much planning and anticipation. In the middle of all of the joy of the occasion was a small sadness in Becky’s heart. You see in a chair in the front row sat a very special sign for Becky’s son Triston. The sign 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.”
Becky lost her son Triston in 2015 when he was just 19 years old, but before he passed he selflessly registered as an organ donor. This was a decision that didn’t surprise his mom.
“(Triston) was a guardian to all of his friends. He was the kid who stuck up for the underdog” Becky told WSB. “(Triston) lived every day like it was his last. He lived more in his 19 years than most of us do in a lifetime.”
The Plan Begins
Triston’s heart saved the life of Jacob Kilby, and that is a gift Jacob never takes lightly. A year after Jacob received Triston’s heart he was able to connect with Becky and jumped at the chance. Becky’s, now husband, Kelly arranged for the two to speak on the phone as a surprise for Becky’s birthday. Needless to say the surprise was a hit. When Kelly heard how well Becky and Jacob hit it off he knew he needed to find a way for Becky and Jacob to meet in person.
So, with the help of Becky’s family Kelly began the plan, to have Jacob be the surprise groomsman at their upcoming wedding. Kelly called Jacob to see if he would like to be part of the surprise, and Jacob couldn’t say ‘yes’ fast enough.
“As soon as Kelly called me what his plan was, I was on board. No hesitation. Giving that to her was awesome to experience. Knowing that I was able to help her turn that gift into something incredibly special for her in return was amazing,” Jacob recalled to WSB.
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The Unexpected Wedding Guest
As the morning of the wedding came everything was in place. Jacob had made it to Alaska for the wedding, and everyone was ready to surprise Becky. The ceremony started and Kelly stopped the proceedings to tell Becky that there was another groomsman, and introduced Jacob to Becky for the very first time.
“I couldn’t wrap my arms around him fast enough,” Becky shared with WSB. “You can’t put it into words. It’s immense joy. That’s the coolest thing about the pictures. If you look at (them), it says it all. Total surprise, complete joy. My world was as complete as it could be.”
After the ceremony Becky was able to stop and hear her son’s heartbeat in the chest of the man he saved.
When asked about the morning of the wedding it is clear this momma’s heart knew something was up.
“That whole day, I couldn’t understand why I couldn’t stop crying,” Becky told WSB. “Now I know why. My son’s presence was there.”
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After this is incredible surprise Becky and Jacob share a bond that is unlike anything we could possibly imagine. But, we are so incredibly glad that Amber Lanphier of Love Adventured photography caught it all on camera!
h/t: WSB-TV / Love Adventured
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