An Atlanta couple was shocked after a tragic turn of events left groom-to-be Brett Greenhill, 39, paralyzed from neck down. The accident happened after he decided to take a dive then hit a sandbar. He was airlifted to a Florida hospital where he is currently recovering.
Greenhill and fiancée Meg Alexander, 29, were celebrating with their close friends and family for a joint bachelor/bachelorette party in Naples, Florida.
"Brett went into the water and all of a sudden my friend Kelsey says, 'Why is Brett doing that? Why is he floating like that?' I was like, 'I don't know, he's a goofball' and she went to check on him," Alexander narrated in an interview with People.
When their friend, Kelsey, started screaming, they rushed to Greenhill. Kelsey Rice, a nurse, quickly stabilized Greenhill's head while Alexander's mother called 911. She said that when she flipped him over, he told her that he could not move.
Emily Sterner, a close friend who was with the couple, said that it took four or five of them to lift Greenhill's body out of the water.
"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 recalled.
Greenhill was brought to Lee Memorial Hospital, where doctors told Alexander that her fiancé only has 1% chance of walking again.
"We're holding on to that 1% because if anyone will do it, it's Brett. He's the hardest-working person you could ever imagine," she said.
Although he is currently unable to speak, Alexander communicates with him by going through the alphabet letter by letter in order to spell out what he wants to say.
"The first thing he said to me was, 'I love you,' and the second thing he said was, 'Please be patient with me.' "
Their scheduled wedding on February is on hold as the couple and their families prioritize the recovery and hospitalization of Greenhill.
The GoFundMe page set up by family and friends for Greenhill's medical bills and rehabilitation has already raised more than $86,000. They are also planning to start a charity in his name.
"I know it's going to be an uphill battle, but it's been amazing to see the people who have come out to support us," she said.
Join the Conversation