Four years ago, US serviceman Jesse Cottle stepped on an IED in Afghanistan and both of his legs were blown off. During his recovery, he met a beautiful woman named Kelly and they fell in love. They’re about to celebrate their first wedding anniversary.
They swim often and when they do, Kelly carries Jesse into the water and back to his prosthetic legs. So when a family member taking photos captured Kelly carrying her husband, something she always did, none of them imagined the picture would go viral. They have become a symbol for families all over North America whose lives have been forever altered by war.
It’s also an inspiration for anyone who is “different”. Jesse’s real triumph is refusing to allow the loss of his legs to ruin his life. “If I hadn’t stepped on that IED”, he told ABC News, “I wouldn’t have met her. I wouldn’t take it back ever.”