Prayers outside of Baylor Scott & White in Hillcrest after a bride-to-be spends her wedding day in the hospital.
"She had butterflies... You know she was just very excited...And then we did a wedding shower at my house." says the mother of the groom Alesia Sanchez.
The McGregor natives and high school sweethearts Lesly Paniagua and her fiancee Jerry Sanches had all the bells and whistles in place for them to say their I do's this past Saturday.
But during a getaway trip as a joint bachelor/bachelorette party, just 1 week before the big day, Paniagua suffered a horrific ATV accident, leaving her with a fractured spine, and significant brain injuries.
She spent her wedding day hospitalized in the ICU fighting for her life.
"There's no words that can describe how much she means to me... I love her more than life itself." says fiancee Jerry Sanches.
Since the accident loved ones have gathered outside the hospital every night coming together in prayer.
"They kept on telling us no she's brain dead she's brain dead, and when we got here, they were like no, we'll give it two hours," says Alesia Sanchez
But Lesly is a fighter and after 10 long days, the family continues to pray."
"My son is here, and we can't go in because of COVID, but I want him to know our presence is here," says Alesia Sanchez.
As the bride-to-be undergoes surgery, they're putting their faith in charge of the rest.
"After all this, I'm gonna be here for her as much as I can as long as I can all the way through," says Jerry Sanchez
The family says Paniagua still can't talk but she's starting to blink and Wednesday was able to move her hand.
As for the wedding, it is on hold until she is able to recover.
If you'd like to help the family with medical bills as she recovers, they're
hosting a benefit taco sale at 504 E 3rd St. in McGreggor this Saturday at 2 pm.
Then on Saturday, September 26th there will be a benefit concert and food sale at Bethlehem Christian Church at 209 N 2nd St in McGreggor from 11 am to 8 pm.
The family has also set up a gofundme to help with expenses.
