Bride almost died as infant, then dad tells story at her wedding. ‘Bawling like a baby’

A Canadian bride was left “bawling like a baby” during her dad’s speech at her wedding recounting how her parents almost lost her when she was born.

“I wasn’t allowed in the operating room, and so I was left standing out in the corridor staring at the operating room door, thinking the worst,” Georges Lagassé, the bride’s dad, says while fighting back tears in the video captured by Connor Drummond. “About 10 minutes later the surgical team leader found me leaning against the wall, head down, not knowing what to think or do and she said ‘don’t worry papa, baby’s OK, mommy’s OK, I’ll get you a cup of tea.’”

The bride, Jade Lagassé-King, of Muskoka, about 130 miles north of Toronto, told McClatchy News in a phone interview that her heart flatlined twice after the umbilical cord got wrapped around her neck, leaving her in the neonatal intensive care unit for months after her mom endured a 30-hour birth.

“That’s always been something that’s really hard for him to talk about,” she said. “That was really special, but I think the way he communicated it was quite lovely honestly and an ode to their strength as people.”

In August, 24 years later, Lagassé-King got married to Sam King, 25, whom she met at a house party, then started dating when she was 15.

“I can’t imagine our life without our little Jade and, I think, I don’t think anyone in this room can imagine a life without Jade,” Lagassé said alongside his wife, Barbara Lagassé, in the Jan 6. video. “Sam would not have a life partner, and we would not be the benefactors of what comes from knowing Jade.”

The two got married at King’s grandparents’ blueberry farm where they’d spent summers together.

“We would not be here like this, all of us, like a family, the world would be worse off,” the bride’s father said in the video that’s garnered over 8.2 million views as of Jan. 8.

Lagassé-King said her dad, whom she describes as having words that “just sink deep,” prides himself on his joy for his family and that she knows “he’ll do anything” for them.

“I heard a person say once that they want to look at their kids and think that there’s a chance that they will live in a world better than the one left behind,” the bride’s dad said in the TikTok. “What I say is, thanks to our children, the world we leave behind, will only get better.”

Lagassé-King said another emotional moment she had with her father earlier in the day was their “first look,” when he saw her in her wedding dress for the first time.

“That was probably the only time during the whole wedding day where I completely lost it,” she said. “It was one of those cries where it just started to spiral.”

Lagassé-King said her father is close with her husband too and that although they have different qualities, she thinks they are very similar at times.

“Sam, as you know, I’m quite reserved,” the bride’s father says in the video. “But know this, I see you, I appreciate you and I wholeheartedly welcome you in our family and I love you as our son.”

Lagassé said the process of writing the speech took time and a lot of thinking.

“In a previous conversation about writing a speech for (Jade), someone mentioned that my delivery isn’t just a spontaneous thought; it’s about how I feel. It involves more than just sharing funny stories - it’s about conveying my emotions towards (Jade). The challenge isn’t with knowing a feeling but how to articulate it so others can experience it too,” Lagassé told McClatchy News in a statement.

“To do this, I had to find moments to zone out, often during walks, allowing me to reflect on everything I know about (Jade), from (her) mom’s birth to present day. It has very little to do with the writing process, and more has to do with reliving - reliving the moments as much as I can.”

Lagassé-King said her dad has been romantic to her mom her entire life.

“From the flowers to the big pack of chocolates to the mini pack of chocolates, he’s always been really thoughtful and is always showing acts of service towards her,” she said.

Lagassé-King’s said her parents are an inspiration for her and her husband, Sam.

“They have a great relationship and it’s never been just easy or perfect and I think that’s what Sam I look up to,” she said.

This story was originally published January 8, 2024 at 2:47 PM with the headline "Bride almost died as infant, then dad tells story at her wedding. ‘Bawling like a baby’."