True love really is hard to find and one woman was lucky to really find it. Today is Valentine’s Day and love really is in the air. Those who love and those who are looking for love will find this woman’s story inspiring and romantic.
Rachelle was totally looking forward to her hen party celebration just like any other bride-to-be. She expected to have a great time with her girlfriends. Instead, she got a surprise that literally changed her life forever.
A resident of Knightdale, North Carolina, Rachelle Friedman had everything planned for her hen party that was held on May 23, 2010. For months, she was looking forward to spending the day with four of her closest friends. They were to go shopping, she would be trying out her wedding dress, enjoying a barbecue party, and dancing at night.
However, for Rachelle, things did not really go as planned. At least, her fiancé, Chris Chapman’s stag night was not as eventful.
What Really Happened
On the day of her hen do, everything started out as planned. After the barbecue, they rode in a limousine and went to the best clubs in town. They danced until around two in the morning, but since everyone was on a high, no one really wanted the fun to stop there. So, they went swimming.
Initially, no one was really worried about anyone drowning since three of them were lifeguards. They all fooled around by the pool, pushed and nudged each other until… Rachelle fell. Unfortunately, she fell at the shallow part of the pool. Unable to break her fall properly, she broke her neck. After that, she lost all sensation from the chest down.
What Happened After
The paramedics came as soon as they could. One even admitted that after thirty years of working as one, only one person walked away from such an incident. Rachelle was very determined to be the second.
Upon arrival at the hospital, the doctors conducted some tests and an injury at her spinal cord was confirmed. That also meant that she would be on a wheelchair for the rest of her life. Though she could move her arms, she could not even move her fingers.
She started worrying about her impending marriage and if her fiancé will still be willing to go through with it. She soon got her answer after he walked into her hospital room. All her fears were washed away when he said, “you’re just the same. I still love you.”
A Fairy Tale Like Ending… Not
Her hen do was not just a memorable moment, it was life changing. She had to adapt to a new life. If she used to be so physically active and independent before, she had to learn how to do things differently as she had to learn how to live on wheels.
Through physical therapy, Rachelle was able to join a wheelchair rugby team. Her passion for sports was at least fed by playing rugby. After some time, she was even able to regain the use of her fingers.
No one can find princesses in wheelchairs in any fairy tale story, but Rachelle did seem to get that happy ending many people never get the chance to experience. Hopefully, over time, she improves and gets to find her place in this world.