A non-profit group for veterans has stepped up to help gift a free wedding to a couple whose love has withstood more trials than most.
Jennifer and Devin Cooper were recently gifted a wedding worth approximately $28,000 in the idyllic setting of the Great Smoky Mountains in Tennessee.
The couple’s nuptials had been postponed by military tours, the raising of five children, and a string of serious health issues.
Years ago, Jennifer was diagnosed with her first brain tumor as the result of being exposed to depleted uranium during her military service.
While surgeons successfully removed the 9-centimeter-long tumor, she had a massive stroke that has since affected her eyesight and bodily functions on her left side.
Yet another tumor appeared years later.
“We had two kids back to back and found out my wife was diagnosed with another brain tumor,” Devin told WFAA. “She has to do another surgery in September.”
Before the next surgery — the prognosis of which is not good — and while some of her eyesight remains, Jennifer wants to marry her long-time partner and father of her children.
“The first tumor was bad enough, and it did a lot of damage to my brain,” Jennifer told WFAA.
The Lost Vets Rescue, an organization based in Tennessee that assists veterans with housing, got wind of Jennifer’s wish and hopped on board to make it happen.
“We heard her story and we just were gonna help,” Willie Franklin, founder, told WFAA.
All the cards seemed to fall into place to make a wedding happen for Jennifer and Devin in just two months.
“The next day, I got contacted by an event planner that wanted to know if I had a veteran that would like to enter a contest to be donated a complete wedding,” explained Willie.
The event planner was Kristin Vittorini, owner of Blushing Gypsy Events, who was interested in testing out a new wedding venue called Canopy Ridge.
Reaching out to friends who were local vendors, Kristin told WFAA that “they were all about” gifting a wedding to the couple.
Everything from wedding clothes to entertainment ended up being covered by Kristin and her partners’ generosity.
“The community has really come together for this. I can’t think of a more deserving couple for this. And we’re just excited to be part of it,” explained Kristin.
Overjoyed, Jennifer and Devin finally tied the knot and are ready to fight the tumor head-on this September.
“This is a blessing from God. And we just give Him all the glory for it,” Jennifer told WFAA.
As previously reported in The Dallas Express, the Texas community has recently rallied around several people facing serious health issues similar to Jennifer’s.
For instance, a retired police officer and school resource officer in Plano received a wave of support from city residents when complications after a minor accident led to him having both legs amputated.
Larry Frazier’s family started a GoFundMe to help support the costs of outfitting their home to suit Larry’s new health needs, and it has almost reached the $27,500 goal.
