Atlanta

Groom Paralyzed at Florida Beach Weeks Before Wedding

An Atlanta man is recovering in a Fort Myers hospital, unable to move or breath on his own after a tragic accident.

Friends and family are pleading for the public’s help and asking for everyone’s prayers. They say their situation is a reminder that people cherish the special moments in life, because in an instant they can turn upside down.

Not even a week ago the Atlanta couple celebrated their upcoming wedding with family and friends on the beach. “We had a big wedding shower, we had a fantastic time so much fun,” Meg Alexander told NBC 6 affiliate WXIA.

Alexander is now in a Fort Myers hospital with her fiancé Brett Greenhill. On Saturday Dec. 3, Greenhill decided to take a dive into the Gulf of Mexico. He hit a sandbar, his neck shattered.

He's now paralyzed.

“It all turned to chaos in a matter of minutes,” said Jaime Reints, Meg and Brett’s friend.

“She said there’s something wrong with Brett, she started screaming,” Alexander said.

“When they pulled him out of the water he looked at me and said I’m so sorry Meg I love you so much, I’m so sorry,” Alexander said.

“He was just lifeless, I mean it took four or five of us to be able to lift his body out of the water that’s when I knew something was really wrong,” said Emily Sterner, another friend.

Now, Greenhill’s fight is just beginning.

Friends are asking for the public’s help so he can get the care he needs.

“The doctors have said there’s a 99 percent chance he won’t walk again," Reints said. "But if anybody’s going to be that one percent, it’s going to Brett.”

Greenhill -- a 39-year-old marathoner, exercise enthusiast, a guy who proposed to his soon to be wife on a run -- is now given very little chance to walk down the aisle to marry his true love.

“I am and we are going to get married someday, and it’s going to be amazing,” Alexander said.

Friends started getting their invitations this week. Meg and Brett’s Atlanta wedding is on hold for now as Brett’s health and medical expenses take priority.

“Plans changed a little but we’ll get there someday,” she said.

Friends and family are using the hashtag #GoGreenhill to spread Brett’s story and seek financial help for the couple.

A GoFundMe page has already been setup in efforts to raise enough money to take care of some of the expenses.

Alexander hopes they’ll be flying her fiancé back to Atlanta to The Shepherd Center soon so he can begin rehabilitation.

This article is courtesy of WXIA.

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