After Katie Breland Hughes was in a car accident in 2011, she was told she would never walk again. The impact from the accident ejected her from the car. Then the car rolled on top of her. One doctor told her that her spine had been severed. Even though that was later proven wrong, she had crushed two vertebrae and walking was unlikely.
But Hughes was determined. On January 2, this inspirational bride will be featured on Say Yes to the Dress. Her story is absolutely remarkable. Hughes refused to give up. She refused to let a painful and terrifying diagnosis stop her from living her life. And she made it down the aisle. Walking. I dare you not to cry when you watch this:
www.youtube.com/embed/cYq771M6jzQ
The determination on her face is reason enough to be moved, no? The truth is, many people would just give up in similar circumstances. But not Hughes. She teaches exercise classes, runs a gym and has managed to work through the pain and grief over her injury and turn it into something inspirational.
Walking down the aisle is something most brides take for granted. It’s part of the process. But we are so lucky to be able to do so. Hughes takes nothing for granted and seeing her joy makes it impossible to remain unmoved. She said the vision of herself walking down the aisle got her through some of the more painful parts of her rehabilitation.
She worked with a coach and through strength and conditioning, was able to get her legs to function enough to move them. Once she reconnected with an old friend and they got engaged, she knew she had to make good on a promise she’d made to her sister: “I will not get married — whoever it be to, or whenever it happens — I will not do it until I can walk down the aisle. I just won’t be in a wheelchair.”
In 2011, she could barely sit up in bed. In 2014, she walked to meet her groom. No matter how low we are, we can always push ourselves. We can always strive. We can always do better.
Congratulations to the happy couple. What a moving story.
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