Nicole Kopsidas’ July 2021 wedding was filled with touching moments, but one clip of her brother walking her down the aisle as her dad waits at the end has made a lot of TikTok users emotional.
According to Kopsidas,
her father was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis when she was just 2-years-old. The disease impacts the brain and spinal cord, which can cause unpredictable symptoms ranging from numbness and memory problems to blindness or paralysis, per the National MS Society.
As Kopsidas got older, she said her dad’s condition worsened. He has lived as a quadriplegic for the last seven years, which has resulted in his own parents and children caring for him, Insider reported.
“My parents divorced before my dad got sick,” Kopsidas explained to the outlet. “But my mom, siblings, and I help out weekly to make sure he is well taken care of.”
During the process of planning her wedding,
Kopsidas said she looked into options that would possibly allow her dad to escort her down the aisle, but she didn’t want him to be uncomfortable.
Kopsidas’ dad also wanted to be able to see her walk down the aisle, according to the bride, so she decided to ask her little brother to do it instead.
“He’s always been the baby of the family, so it was really special,” Kopsidas told Insider of her brother. “He was honored and excited, but probably a little bit sad because my dad couldn’t walk me down.”
“I feel like he knew I was going to ask him, so he was happy to be able to do it for our family,” she added.
Ahead of the ceremony,
Kopsidas told Insider she shared a “first look” with her dad. Her photographer captured the intimate moment, showing the pair crying as the bride leaned in to hug her dad.
Then, it was time for Kopsidas to make her grand entrance at the wedding.
During the touching moment — which Kopsidas told Insider was recorded by her mom, and has been viewed millions of times on TikTok — the bride was escorted down the aisle by her brother.
Their father was waiting at the altar with tears in his eyes, and once they met him, Kopsidas leaned down and gave her dad a kiss on the cheek.
Since her wedding, Kopsidas said she’s getting ready to welcome a baby with her husband, just bought a house, and continues to help her grandparents take care of her dad since they don’t have any professional help.
Source:people.com, insider.com