first responder couple in north carolina They postponed their wedding plans to help recover from the Hurricane Helen disaster and let their love shine in a commitment ceremony amid the chaos.
“We were supposed to get married today in Glacier National Park. Hurricane Helene took away that special day and trip from us, we will reschedule and legally complete it at a later date,” Rhonda Chislaghi wrote in a post on Facebook.
“But today was our wedding day, and we weren’t going to spend it apart. We knew that if we could exchange vows and rings today, we would do it and, thanks to a few special people , this happened,” Chislaghi continued while sharing the photos. Of their special function.
Chislaghi and now-husband Eric Barnwell were scheduled to fly out to North Carolina on September 29 for their wedding on October 2. WLOS first reported. His plans were foiled when Hurricane Helene devastated western North Carolina as well as several other neighboring states.
A North Carolina first responder couple honored their love for each other with a commitment ceremony after Hurricane Helene took away their initial wedding plans. (Rhonda Chislaghi Facebook)
According to WLOS, Chislaghi is a volunteer first responder for the Henderson County Rescue Squad and her husband is a retired division chief of the Skyland Fire Department. Both have worked as first responders for 30 years.
He told WLOS Once Helen struck, They knew they had to postpone their marriage and help out at home.
“We had a lot of family and friends over, and then the work that was going on with our departments — we knew we weren’t going to be able to make that trip,” Chislaghi told WLOS. “It was heartbreaking, but it’s all in the plan; we will reschedule, and we will get there.”
Chislaghi told WLOS that she and Barnwell had known each other for “20 years or more” and that their relationship began in February, and by July the couple were engaged and set a wedding date for October. Was.
Chislaghi said that, as a “very determined person”, she knew in her heart that the two had compromised on October 2 and, regardless, “that was going to be the date.”
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North Carolina first responders Rhonda Chislaghi and Eric Barnwell postponed their wedding to help with the recovery from Hurricane Helene. They were still able to get married in an intimate commitment ceremony at their station on their wedding day. (Rhonda Chislaghi Facebook)
she said she should have done that report to his police station for work on Wednesday morning, but when she woke up, she knew she had to be at the Barnwell station, which she had no idea she was coming in to.
Chislaghi told WLOS that Barnwell was stationed in Buncombe County and was receiving and distributing supplies to people affected by Helen on the morning of his ceremony.
She said that when she arrived at the station to surprise her fiancé, one of her coworkers offered to make their dream ceremony a reality.
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Hurricane Helene ruined first responders Rhonda Chislaghi and Eric Barnwell’s original wedding plans, but they were able to tie the knot at their emergency management station. (Rhonda Chislaghi Facebook)
“He looked at me, and he said, ‘Do you want to get married today? And I said, ‘I do,’ and he said, ‘I would do that,'” Chislaghi recalled. “He was in another building. Went, came back and said it would be done before the end of the day, and we did.”
“We are grateful to be surrounded by such caring, supportive and selfless people in Henderson and Buncombe County,” Chislaghi said.
A worker from Buncombe County Emergency Management and a chaplain came to the station and performed the ceremony for the couple. Chislaghi said she is very grateful to everyone who supported her and made her day special, but she is still heartbroken for all the people affected by Helen.
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A North Carolina first responder couple shared their first kiss as husband and wife after Hurricane Helene delayed initial wedding plans. (Rhonda Chislaghi Facebook)
Chislaghi said that during the beginning of the storm and for several days afterward, the things he heard and the people he talked to were “very traumatic” for first responders.
“A lot of people just keep going until they have a chance to sit down and get tired,” Chislaghi said. “These boys and girls, brothers and sisters, they’ve been through this in the last week and a half, and they’ll never be the same after this.”
The couple still hopes to have their wedding in Glacier National Park rescheduling their marriage For the end of October or November.
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hurricane helen At least 232 people died due to the storm in the Southeast. Hundreds of people are still unaccounted for in the wake of the deadliest US hurricane since Katrina in 2005.
Fox News Digital reached out to the newlyweds but did not immediately receive a response.
