South Florida couple ties the knot, overcoming groom's debilitating injury two years ago

MIAMI -- There were plenty of cheers Saturday when Juan Hernandez kissed his new bride, Valeria Esponda, in front of loved on at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral.

Perhaps an even bigger moment, however, came in the minutes after that kiss, as Hernandez was able to walk with her down the aisle.

The couple tied the knot Saturday in a South Florida church, overcoming the odds that seemed nearly insurmountable when Hernandez suffered a life-changing accident.

So their wedding day was the culmination of prayers because it was a day they were not sure they would ever see.

"It's crazy how life can change," Hernandez said. "Two years ago, I was paralyzed in a bed. Things were down. Today, I am marrying the love of my life. Things are up right now. Thank God."

In 2021, Hernandez had an accident where he nearly drowned. He also sustained a spinal cord injury that left him paralyzed from the neck down.

"I feel like our love really carried us through a whole journey," Esponda said. "And we're here now."

Given only a 3 percent chance of ever walking again, his loved ones encouraged Hernandez along the way.

"I always told him, 'Don't worry. God is in control,'' said his mother, Yamirah Hernandez. "You're going to walk again."

And he did. 

Hernandez not only walked, but was able to dance at his wedding.

They said hard work, perseverance and their love for each other all led up to the incredible day.

"They have redefined the word love and commitment," said Juan Carlos Hernandez, the groom's father. " We as adults have a lot to learn from our children."

Even the groom's doctor, Dr. Jose Lozada from Broward Health, was there to celebrate with the couple, calling the recovery miraculous.

"This is remarkable, absolutely remarkable," Lozada said. "I've never seen anything like this."

The two already know about "through sickness and in health, and now, they are excited for the future.

"It makes me appreciate all the little things-the things we take for granted every day," Esponda said. "Being able to wake up in the morning. Being able to walk. Being able to do things for yourself.

"Life can be so fragile," said Hernandez. "We go through our day to day, and we don't think that deeply about things. We just go through our lives. Those things can happen, and the sooner you realize that, the sooner you can appreciate every single day with your loved ones."