Every month we’ve decided to feature a wedding for you so that you can see we service “real” people. If you have a story you’d like to share with us…..please send it along….you may be one of our “featured” weddings!!
Dear Ray & Eileen,
Thank you so much for an incredible wedding and for taking an interest in the story of Nygel and I.
Nygel and I met on an on-line dating site in October of 2009. The site had members take all kinds of quirky personality tests and based on the results would compute their compatibility in categories such as friends, lovers, and enemies. Nygel came across my profile and attempted to message me; however he did not meet my minimum compatibility requirements and was blocked from contacting me. Fortunately though, he was able to “like” my page so to speak which showed up on my profile. I was looking for a strong compatibility with my next partner but when I saw Nygel’s profile there was an undeniable spark, and I broke my own rule and sent him an email. Best decision of my life.
For about 3 weeks after that we exchanged lengthy emails at least daily. It was so exciting to learn about one another’s lives and to see how much we had in common. I knew right from the beginning that Nygel was disabled but as we exchanged emails he shared more with me about his disability and how it had shaped his life. For example, Nygel enjoyed a normal and active childhood and then around age 11 he developed scoliosis. Over the next 4 years his scoliosis progressed to the point where Nygel needed to wear a back brace and then to eventually undergo spinal surgery where metal rods were placed along his spine to prevent curvature. Although the scoliosis surgery was successful, Nygel began noticing more difficulty with controlling his balance and mobility following the procedure. Over the course of the next 4 years Nygel experienced increasing difficulty with ambulating, controlling his balance, and with muscle weakness which resulted in him needing a cane to walk, then a walker, and eventually a wheelchair. He and his mother sought the help of numerous doctors to explain what was happening with little luck, until finally at age 19 when Nygel received the diagnosis of Friedreich’s Ataxia (FA), a rare and progressive degenerative neurological disorder. To help me with understanding what FA was Nygel recommended a few sites to me such as: http://www.curefa.org/ and http://www.mdausa.org/publications/fa-fried.html. Prior to meeting Nygel I had never heard of FA and honestly it was a little overwhelming at first, but I was also intrigued by him and I figured I had nothing to lose so we made plans to meet.
We had our first date in mid-November and that feeling of instant connection was even stronger in person. The energy between us flowed so easily and being there together his chair and disability was less of an issue than I had expected. We made plans to see each other again soon. Four days later I received devastating news, I was diagnosed with an aggressive form of Papillary Cancer and would need to undergo surgery and radiation immediately. As this reality began to set in I was overwhelmed and terrified to say the least, and starting a new relationship seemed like a terrible idea.
A few days before my surgery I called Nygel and told him that I wanted to break it off. I explained to him that I sincerely thought he was an incredible guy and that I really liked him a lot but that I just couldn’t deal with starting a new relationship right now. I went on to say that I could really see myself with him and that maybe in a year or so when I was well, if he was still single, then we could try again. As long as I live I will never forget what Nygel said next which was “No”. “No I don’t want to break up, I don’t want to just be with you when you’re well, I want to be with you always” he said. I was speechless; I knew that someone like this would probably only come into my life once and that regardless of my situation I would be a fool to let them go. Nygel reassured me that we could take it as slow as I needed and that he just wanted to be there with me, and so we moved forward together.
My surgery went well and Nygel was there by my side the next day. A little over a week later I began my radioactive ablation, which required me to have no human contact for over a week due to the high dose of radiation I received. The first day that I received medical clearance to have contact with people I went straight over to see Nygel and since that day we’ve been virtually inseparable. In January we unofficially moved in together and in April I cancelled the lease on my apartment and made it official. In September we were engaged and in June of 2011 we had the most wonderful wedding anyone could dream of.
I think that Nygel and I both realize that we may face more challenges than the average couple, but that seems like a small toll to pay when the exchange is getting to spend our lives together. We cannot thank Ray and Eileen enough for the beautiful wedding that they performed for us and the stunning photographs they took. Weddings to Go Key West made the whole process of planning a wedding seamless and manageable. Ray and Eileen recommended several wedding sites and reception sites for us which were wheelchair accessible and this was a huge help because we were planning the entire wedding long distance. From the planning to the execution Ray and Eileen and the Weddings to Go Key West team did an impeccable job.
Sincerely,
Carolyn & Nygel Lenz