A wedding day brings out the best in people, and this stunning bride went above and beyond to make her husband feel extra special on their special day. Derick Smith was 12 years old when he lost his brother, Jake, in a grueling car accident when he was only 13 years old, and his parents decided to donate all of Jake’s organs but never met any of the recipients.
Katy, Smith’s then-fiancee, planned to surprise him on their wedding day by making him hear his brother’s heartbeat again. “I had asked Derick’s mother, and I said, you know this is going to be a really personal question, and you can say no, but I’m really interested in trying to find the person who received Jake’s heart, and would you be willing to do that?” Katy stated. “She cried and was overjoyed, and she said, ‘Absolutely, I think this is a fantastic idea.’
” Katy spent a year looking for the woman whose life had been changed, Gracie Wilkinson. Wilkinson was only six years old when she received the transplant. “I found out her name and found her on Facebook, so I messaged her… Within two minutes, she responded, ‘Absolutely, I would love to be there, just let me know when and where,’” Katy stated. Fonash Studios captured the best moment at the wedding ceremony when Wilkinson met Derick on video.
“I’m glad you showed up. Thank you very much for having me. “I’m glad my brother was able to assist you,” Wilkinson said at the time. Smith was able to hear Jake’s heart during the emotional reunion. Wilkinson also made Smith a key chain with an image of his brother’s heartbeat from an EKG, which was a thoughtful gesture. “It was a flood of different emotions to hear his heartbeat,” Smith said. “There are no words to describe it.
She gave me the gift of resolution.” “I was shocked that she was selfless enough to kind of share her wedding day with me because even though it was for Derick, it was huge for me as well,” Wilkinson said. “Meeting everyone and being a part of their day and that moment for Derick and bringing Derick some closure from losing his brother means the absolute world to me,” she added.
Derick Smith’s heart must have been touched by the gift of hearing his brother’s heartbeat after so many years, thanks to his bride Katy’s determination to find Wilkinson, who graciously agreed to meet Smith.