Pennsylvanian bride, Jeni Stepien, tragically lost her dad back in 2006 when an armed robbery turned violent. Ten years on and she’s about to tie the knot with her fiancé, Paul Maenner.
However, rather than spending the day without her dad, she asked the organ recipient of her father’s heart, Arthur Thomas, to walk her down the aisle instead.
Arthur recalls the letter Jeni sent him which read, “Tom, I’m the daughter of the man whose heart’s inside you, and I’m going to get married on August 6th,” he told ABC News. “One further thing, if you’re willing — would you walk me down the aisle?”
Arthur, of course, said yes.
On what was an incredibly emotional day for the pair, Jeni described her wedding as ‘the best day of her life’.
“It’s just like having my dad here, and better because we get to share this story with other people and other people see that organ donors do matter.”
“I am so excited. It’s like the whole family’s here now. It’s like everybody’s here,” Jeni said.
“Just hugging him made me feel like I was close to my dad again, which on this day was perfect. It was what I needed,” Jeni’s sister Michelle added.
What a beautiful memory for both of them to cherish forever!
You can watch the video of Jeni’s big day above
This article was originally published on Cosmopolitan Australia.
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