Bride Meets Man Who Carries Her Late Son's Heart & the Photos Will Make You Sob

Hollee Actman Becker
·2 min read

Becky Turney lost her 19-year-old son Triston back in 2015. And though she made the decision to donate his heart, she had never met it's recipient—until now. Because while the Alaska mom was busy preparing for her upcoming nuptials, her groom-to-be made it his business to track down Triston's heart recipient and arrange for him to surprise the bride during their ceremony!

"I knew about this surprise but nothing prepares you for the beauty of this moment," the couple's wedding photographer, Amber Lanphier of Love Adventured, explained in a now-viral Facebook post. "I met a man named Jacob Kilby yesterday who is alive because of a heart transplant received from this bride's son, Triston. Her son couldn't be here for the wedding day but Becky's groom Kelly surprised her by flying Jacob up to Alaska to stand in as a groomsman, carrying Triston's heart."

So incredible! Kelly stopped the ceremony to introduce Jacob to Becky for the first time—just look at the emotion on her face:

"Everyone was so moved by this and I had to share this amazing story," Lanphier wrote. "I had the pleasure of hearing Jacob (who was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome) share his gratitude and plans for a heart healthy life to Triston's sister before the ceremony. I am so blown away by his story and his amazing outlook on life. You couldn't ask for a better recipient to receive such a gift."

Look at all those bridesmaids weeping in the background! And the surprises didn't end there—Jacob then handed Becky a stethoscope so she could hear her son's heart beating.

What a beautiful moment!

"It was incredible to be a part of their wedding celebration with their family," Lanphier explained in a recent update on Facebook. "The biggest part of this message is that we hope you all would consider organ donation!"

To learn more about becoming an organ donor, visit OrganDonor.gov.

Hollee Actman Becker is a freelance writer, blogger, and mom of two who writes about parenting and pop culture. Check out her website holleeactmanbecker.com for more, and then follow her on Instagram.