In 2008, Thomas Martineau, an Air Force veteran, became paralyzed from the waist down due to an untimely motorcycle accident. Doctors told him he probably wouldn’t walk again, but Martineau had a great motivator for getting back on his own two feet. The serviceman wanted to surprise his fiancé, Kiersten Downs, on the day of their wedding by dancing with her for their first dance as a married couple.
The pair told Yahoo! Style that they had no idea how they’d actually approach their first dance since Martineau had been in a wheelchair for years, but the clever groom had a plan in place.
While his fiancé was busy earning her PhD at the University of South Florida in Tampa, Martineau put his plan into action. The 34-year-old veteran consulted a close pal of his — the lead trainer of Stay in Step Spinal Cord Injury rehabilitation center, Steve Hill, for his surprise dance. Hill rigged a suspension system from the rafters of the old barn the couple held their reception in, one that would support Martineau on the dance floor.
While his new wife was getting ready to make her grand entrance with the bridal party in tow, Martineau slipped away so Hills could hook him up to the rig. Downs walked in to find her husband standing at her attention for their first dance and the emotional reveal was made even better by a f ast-thinking wedding guest who caught it all on tape.
Watching the touching moment below:
