Thomas Martineau and Kiersten Downs have just gotten married and now it’s time to party.
Prior to this photo, the Veteran had been planning a surprise with his rehab trainer for months. Just after this photo, their wedding planner helped Kiersten to the bathroom for a brush-up before their first dance.
The announcement was made to begin the dance and the bride entered the room, later saying, “I danced my way in and had to adjust my eyes because something was different”.
There in the center of the dance floor was her man…standing.
He and his rehab trainer created a rig to suspend him and allow his wife to have a moment to remember.
Kiersten:
“Because I have a tendency to freak out, I think my first thought was, ‘Holy moly’, I hope he doesn’t fall”.
Due to multiple surgeries, this was the couple’s 3rd attempt to plan the wedding…but they finally made it work.
“In the corner of my eye I saw our good friend Steve Hill, the lead trainer at Stay In Step Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Center in Tampa, and knew he was the mastermind behind it all.”
Long before this special night Kiersten and Thomas, both Veterans, were at Veterans open mic night when a band called “The War and the Treaty” dedicated a song to young couple. After the song, Thomas turned and said, “that’s our wedding song”.
That same band showed up to perform for the newly wed couple while they shared their first dance.
