A wedding is arguably one of the biggest moment of any woman’s life.
Aside from sorting everything and making sure the day goes off without a hitch, it can be particularly hard if the bride to be doesn’t have her dad to walk her down the aisle.
Of course, in an ideal world we would have both our parents there on our special day but unfortunately life can’t always be perfect and things don’t always turn out as planned.
When Jeni Stepien lost her father, Michael, 10 years ago, she thought she’d said goodbye forever.
Michael tragically lost his life during a shop robbery in their hometown of Pennsylvania. As per the family’s request, his organs were donated.
His heart went to one, Arthur Thomas, who had been waiting 16 years for a donor and was almost dead before receiving Michael’s heart.
The Stepien family kept in touch with Arthur for over 10 years, writing, calling and exchanging gifts but they had never actually met. Until last week, that is.
It was Jeni’s wedding that would eventually bring them all together. The bride decided that she wanted a part of her father at her special day and asked Arthur to walk her down the aisle.
“Just hugging him made me feel like I was close to my dad again” she told CBS Pittsburgh.
Arthur was more than happy to help out in any way he could;
“What a greater honor could a person have than walking the daughter of the man who’s given his heart to him, I can’t imagine a greater honor” he told the news station.
Watch the heartwarming video below
