Bride honors late son with empty seat, breaks down when she sees who fills it
By Greg SullivanSept. 17 2024, Updated 2:55 p.m. ET
Triston's passing at the age of 19 had left his mother, Becky, heartbroken, but she found solace in knowing his heart and other organs had saved lives. Two years later, Becky and her husband-to-be, Kelly, were to get married.
At their wedding, Becky and Kelly reserved an empty seat to honor Triston's memory. The seat had a sign that read, "I'm in heaven for your wedding so what shall I do? I'll come down to earth to spend it with you. So save me a seat, just one empty chair. You may not see me but I will be there." While this message was already deeply moving, Kelly had something even more special planned.
Just before the ceremony, Kelly told Becky there was someone she needed to meet. To Becky's amazement, a 21-year-old man named Jacob appeared. Jacob was the recipient of Triston's heart, and he had flown from San Diego to be there for Becky's special day. Overwhelmed with emotion, Becky broke down in tears as she listened to her late son's heartbeat with a stethoscope.
Becky's excitement was palpable as she jumped up and down, surrounded by guests who also shed tears of joy. The story quickly spread on Facebook, touching thousands of hearts worldwide.
One commenter, Judith Cleek, wrote, "This says so much about her new husband. What a marvelous show of caring and love, so touching and heartwarming." Another, Helen Burnett, added, "This is such a beautiful thing... A selfless act of love... Shows us all things are possible... God bless this family." Tara Sorensen expressed a wish for more positive stories like Becky's to be shared, stating, "Why can't we just have one news channel that is dedicated to sharing positive, inspiring stories like this? There is so much kindness and good in the world that could invoke the same if only it was shared."
While Becky and Kelly had to say goodbye to Triston, this heartfelt moment will forever remain a cherished memory.
This article was originally published on July 13, 2024. It has since been updated.
This article was written with assistance from artificial intelligence. Megaphone creates content primarily driven by people but aims for full transparency in how our storytelling is produced. To learn more about our policy on artificial intelligence, click here.
