Mom Who Kept A Seat For Late Son At Her Wedding Gets Emotional When She Recognizes One Of The Groomsmen

Oct 24, 2023

When Becky Turney turned up for her wedding to Kelly Turney on July 7, 2017, she had no idea that she would receive an unexpected guest that would make the event even more memorable for life. At her wedding, Becky reserved a chair in memory of her son Triston Green, who passed away aged 19 in 2015 from an accidental gunshot accident. On Triston’s chair, there was a card that read:

“I’m in heaven for your wedding, so what shall I do? I’ll come down to Earth to spend it with you. So save me a seat, just one empty chair. You may not see me, but I will be there.”

Becky had no idea how valid those words would be until her groom’s surprise was unveiled. Triston was an organ donor, and five organs, including his heart, were transplanted to save lives. It turned out that Kelly secretly flew Jacob Kilby, who received Triston’s heart, from California to Alaska and hid him among his groomsmen. 

The two had connected some months back, and Kelly made plans for Kilby to come for the wedding. Meanwhile, Becky had also spoken to Kilby on the phone, and they even exchanged messages online, but they never met in person. 

Shortly before the ceremony started, one of the guests announced Kilby’s presence. 

“What a lot of you may not know is that Triston was an organ donor and that was his choice,” the person started. “And by doing that, it opened us up to meet some pretty amazing people, and one of those young men who received his heart is here today.” 

Becky gasped when she heard the news and hugged the young man tightly, screaming and sobbing when he approached her.

“I lost my mind. I squealed like a little girl. I jumped up and down. It was incredible,” Becky told TODAY. 

Everyone was touched and shed a few tears at the lovely interaction between two strangers bound by Triston’s gift. The wedding photographer, Love Adventured, wasn’t left out. 

Per Huffpost, she wrote on Facebook:

“I knew about this surprise but nothing prepares you for the beauty of this moment.”

She shared pictures of the wedding, including some images of Becky listening to Kilby’s heart with a stethoscope. 

“Hands down the best gift... most amazing surprise ever. Thank you for caring for Triston’s heart. Thank you for being here,” Becky told Kilby.

She also told NBC News: 

“He physically brought my son’s heart to my wedding. That’s just amazing.”

Becky admired that Kelly could pull off the surprise without giving her the slightest hint. Meanwhile, Kelly, who had been her partner for seven years, told the BBC:

“I began planning her surprise with Jacob about four to five months earlier. He is an amazing young man.”

Jacob’s heart transplant on Oct. 21, 2015, was his second. He was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome and had three heart surgeries. He then received his first transplant at 2. However, his heart started deteriorating in 2015, so he needed another transplant. Since receiving his new heart, he has not had any complications. 

He is now committed to helping more people become organ donors, and his Instagram is dedicated to that. 

“I wouldn’t be here without it,” he said of Triston’s heart.

Becky and Kelly are also focused on helping to raise more awareness of organ donation and building positive relationships with the other recipients of their son’s organs, which she said is “healing.”

What do you think of this story? What do you think of Kelly Turney and Joseph Kilby’s gesture to Becky? Have you experienced a similar situation? Let us know — and be sure to pass this on to friends and family.