A grieving bride donned her wedding gown to the grave of her late fiance on the day the couple was supposed to get married.
Heartbreaking photos showing Jessica Padgett kneeling in front of her fiance’s headstone on Sept 29 had the internet in tears after they were shared online.
Jessica was supposed to tie the knot with Kendall James Murphy, a firefighter for Montgomery Fire Department, Indiana, but nature had other plans.
Murphy was killed in Nov 2017 when one of his colleagues, Colby Blake, crashed his vehicle into bits as they responded to an emergency call.
The 27-year-old along with Blake and another colleague had responded to a crash site with the Daviess County Sheriff’s Department to rescue a driver stuck inside his vehicle.
Murphy, who had already arrived there in his personal car, was standing beside it to retrieve his protective clothing through the left rear passenger door.
As he did so, Blake rear-ended a truck with his own truck and kept going forward to strike other vehicles, eventually crushing Murphy and his car.
Murphy was pronounced dead on the spot.
Blake was found to have a high blood alcohol level, reportedly more than double the legal limit, when he caused the tragic crash.
When the day Murphy and Jessica were supposed to get married on arrived, she decided to honor the memory of her beloved by visiting his grave and posing for photos with his tombstone, firefighting gear, boots, and his loved ones.
The photoshoot was done by Loving Life Photography and once the images were shared on the social media, they broke the hearts of millions across the globe.
In one of the tear-jerking photos, Jessica poses with Murphy’s boots along with a photoshopped image of him standing beside her.
‘She made broken look beautiful and strong look invincible. She walked with the Universe on her shoulders and made it look like a pair of wings,’ the photographer captioned the photo.
The family also lit paper sky lanterns above the firefighter’s gravesite after the best man and maid of honor had given their speeches.
According to the National Fallen Firefighters Association, Murphy was a ‘selfless man of God who loved spending time with family and friends.
‘He had a true servant’s heart and captivating personality that would light up any room. His wittiness would make anyone laugh and have him making friends in no time. He didn’t know a stranger.’
The Padgett and Murphy families were recently invited to attend the National Firefighters Memorial in Emmitsburg, Maryland to honor the deceased fighter on Oct 7.
In a Facebook post, Jessica said: ‘What a emotional, amazing weekend this was! This foundation not only honored my Kendall, but also took us in as family.
‘This wasn’t what we wanted in the end, but at least we know we will never be alone, we have all become one big supporting family. You will forever be in our hearts #616.’
Murphy joined the Montgomery Volunteer Fire Department in June 2016 to follow in the footsteps of his father and grandfather.
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