HE IS MY HERO

Once upon a November night in 2016 SSG Sean, who I “right swiped,” convinced me to meet him at Chickie and Pete’s, in Philadelphia. As I helped myself to his fried shrimp, which he reluctantly shared, I felt something different. We clicked. He got me. Little did I know that 2.5 years later we would be planning a wedding.

Sean is a 16 year infantryman and combat veteran, of the NJ Army National Guard. He’s been deployed four times. He currently trains soldiers who are preparing for upcoming deployment. He’s made years of sacrifices to serve this country. He is my hero.
I am a social worker by training and currently run an adolescent mental health program, in the city. We have challenging careers which demand a lot from the both of us. It is through our unyielding love, our childish spirits, endless laughs and wild adventures that allow us to support each other in our demanding public service positions.

In April 2018, Sean was severely burned during a training mission. He spent a week at the Temple Burn ICU. It was the scariest time of our lives together. For sure this would make us or break us. I refused to leave his side. One night while I jammed myself in his hospital bed it clicked; this was the person I was going to spend my life with, because for sure this is what “through sickness and health” looks like. Lord knows that if he could tolerate me while he was held captive in a hospital room for days on end, he could surely tolerate me for a lifetime. Right? Or maybe that was the pain killers? Anyway, his recovery journey was long and tough.

We quickly learned what it meant to be “in good times and bad” and “richer or poorer.” We took financial hit after hit. This warrior was bed ridden, couldn’t do for himself, and couldn’t provide for others. That took a real emotional toll on him. I tried to do everything I could to boost his spirits which included beating him relentlessly at Backgammon. Okay, maybe that just lifted mine. But it was during these weeks that we fell in love, over and over. This was for sure the beginning of our happily ever after.

Since summer 2018 we’ve been making our comeback. Sean is an active father, and has taken on the role of bonus dad to my ten year old son who tragically lost his father in November 2018. Sean is my rock, my encouragement, my sense of humor, my cuddle buddy, and best warrior. He has changed the way I see the world; the way I see service to others. He motivates me each and every day to be the best I can be not only for him and our children, but for those who don’t have what we have, real unconditional love. He is a light that moves in the world and I just want to match his shine.

I believe that we should win this Wedding for Hero’s (a blessing for sure) because Sean deserves to have the fairytale wedding of HIS dreams. He selflessly does so much for all of us that on this greatest day of our lives, I want him to feel special, loved, and appreciated. I can’t wait to marry my best friend and America’s Hero. #bestrightswipe #gonefishin #a2020vision