A bride who was paralysed from the waist down has walked down the aisle at her wedding, an event captured in a beautiful wedding video.
Chelsie Hill was a high school student and dancer prior to a car accident she experienced at 17, which paralysed her from the waist down, an event which meant she would never walk again.
Aged 29, Chelsie married Jay Bloomfield, 34, and surprised him by walking down the aisle. In order to do this, Chelsie wore leg braces under a specially made white dress and walked with a frame.
Chelsie told Insider:
"I want to stress that there's nothing wrong with sitting down in your chair. But for me growing up, I always imagined myself walking down the aisle. And I just wanted to feel that — not that my disability has taken anything away from me — but I just wanted to feel that heart to heart and stand up there eye to eye with him. That was just really something really important to me personally."
Adding in her vows:
"After my accident, I wasn't sure if I would ever find someone who truly loved all of me. You have accepted me fully, honored me, and adored all the parts of me. For this moment today, I wanted to do something I had always dreamed of. Stand eye to eye with you as we promise our lives to each other."
Jay said of his surprise:
"I lost it. It took everything in me just to keep standing. I'm an emotional guy, and when I saw her, I was just blown away."
The pair then danced at their wedding reception, surrounded by friends and family.
Chelsie has long advocated for disabled people, using her love of dancing to inspire. In 2012, she founded Rollettes, a wheelchair dance group in Los Angeles, which brings together disabled people and wheelchair users to get involved in dance and movement.
[Based on reporting by: Positive Outlooks]
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