Bride Paralyzed at Her Own Bachelorette Party; 1 Yr Later, the "Missing Piece" Is Here...

News Staff : Apr 28, 2016
Faithit.com

She was pushed in a pool and left quadriplegic, but that's not the end of her story...

Rachelle Chapman has become known worldwide as the "paralyzed bride" after a pool accident at her bachelorette party rendered her a quadriplegic. (Photo credit: Rachelle Chapman/via Faithit)

"I didn't blame her for hurting me, because we've all pushed somebody in a pool and I was very supportive of her," said Rachelle. The first year I made sure that she was OK, even more than me."
 
[Rachelle] was able to move past the accident and even marry the man of her dreams despite the disability, but there was still one thing that Rachelle called "the missing piece" to the home she shared with her husband Chris.
 
"We were happily wed for a long time, but then I felt that I really wanted a child with Chris," she told TODAY.
 
And now, the couple is getting to celebrate a milestone that at one time seemed impossible: the one-year birthday of their baby girl! Through the help of a surrogate, Rachelle was able to live out the dream of motherhood so deeply ingrained in her heart. (Photo credit: Rachelle Chapman/via Faithit)
 
Even though Rachelle can't walk, it has brought unspeakable joy to her heart to see her daughter take her first steps with the help of her wheelchair to prop her up.
 
"She got a lot of practice holding on to the back of my chair. She would pull up and hold on to the wheel, and then walk to the back and hold on to the bar in the back," she told TODAY. "My wheelchair was good practice for her. She would basically push my wheelchair. It was so cool she learned how to do that."
 
Though she can't physically care for her in all of the ways that she wishes, Rachelle has made the most of her limitations and revels in the unique ways she can show affection to her daughter. Kaylee has also figured out how to crawl out of her wheelchair-accessible crib onto her mama's lap.
 
"It's really hard just to pick her up and pull her towards me, so this tactic works," she said. "And she figured it out on her own. Knowing that I can't reach out and pick her up like everyone else, she just crawled onto my lap on her own." (Photo credit: Rachelle Chapman/via Faithit)

Rachelle has received a great deal of criticism from people who say she's selfish for having a child as a quadriplegic, but she says that milestones like these make all of the harsh words worth it.
 
Rachelle says that people rarely question the capability of single parents, but for some reason, she's been targeted with criticism despite the fact that she has a fully capable husband, on top of her own mother who helps with Kaylee as well.
 
"I want people to realize, yeah, even though my fingers don't work, I have found a way to manipulate my hands to do a lot of things," Rachelle told TODAY. "I can hold Kaylee. I can feed Kaylee and I can play with her while Chris is washing bottles or whatever. We have a system that works for us."
 
"And beyond love, Kaylee has a house over her head and food in her tummy. She's a happy, happy baby who doesn't realize that I'm different. This is normal for her."