Groom passes away one hour after wedding ceremony due to fatal blood clot
A bride lost her husband just an hour after their wedding ceremony due to a fatal blood clot.
Toraze and Johnnie Mae Davis exchanged vows and tied the knot on June 19, but the event took an unexpected turn when Toraze died shortly after the ceremony.
In an interview with local media KETV-7, Johnnie Mae’s friends talked about the couple's grand wedding and noted that they were looking forward to it since it was also her grandmother's birthday.
“We were in the church and it was a beautiful ceremony,” Jewel Roberson said.
"It was the happiest day of Toraze's life. I could just see the smile on his face and how happy he was. And it's just his energy—I just knew that he was just, it was a great day for him,” said Monica Miller, who is also a friend and co-worker of Johnnie Mae.
At the end of the ceremony, the couple went outside the church to take photos and it was when 48-year-old Toraze collapsed and died due to a fatal blood clot.
“His heart stopped for the first time at 4:35, just an hour after the ceremony had begun,” Roberson said, adding: “Toraze suffered from a medical event that was not survivable.”
“In a second. It happened within seconds,” she continued.
Johnnie Mae's friends started a GoFundMe page to help her with funeral expenses, noting how she "had dedicated her life to helping others" by working as a director of ECO Support Living—an organization that helps the elderly and persons with disabilities thrive.
The bride's nearest and dearest also reminded everyone to take their health “seriously” after what happened.
"Every second, minute, you take it seriously. You try to keep your health together so you can have more happy times and your life won't get cut short like this,” said Tonja Ross, a nurse and friend of Johnnie Mae.
"Please learn from this tragedy and try to keep up with you and your family’s health by keeping your doctor updated on any concerns, signs, or symptoms and doing your yearly visits,” she said.
“It is important to keep being active in your health, so your happiest day does not turn into the most devastating day of your life or your loved ones' life," she concluded.