I was paralyzed by my best friend at my bachelorette party — she still served as my bridesmaid
Rachelle Chapman’s wedding day looked a little different than she’d planned.
While most brides walk down the aisle, the blushing blond was escorted to the altar in a wheelchair after being paralyzed in a freak accident before her nuptials.
“When my best friend pushed me in a pool at my bachelorette party,” wrote Chapman, 38, from Raleigh, North Carolina, in the closed-captions of a trending tell-all.
“I was permanently paralyzed.”
Chapman did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for a comment.
In the clip, which has garnered over 20 million TikTok views, Chapman, who became a quadriplegic in May 2010 at age 24, explains that while she isn’t thrilled about her lifelong condition, she’s decided to adopt a cheery outlook.
“I will never like being paralyzed,” said the married mom-of-one. “But it’s all about looking at the positive things in life.”
Chapman, a content creator and author, previously shared the details of her journey on TLC special “Rattled: A Paralyzed Mother’s Story” in 2017. She recounted the harrowing incident for online followers on the anniversary of her injury this spring.
“14 years ago today my whole world was rocked,” Chapman captioned a post explaining the unfortunate accident.
“I was 24-years-old and life was on a fantastic path,” she said. “I had bought a house, got my first real job and had just gotten engaged to my college sweetheart.”
Then, catastrophe struck.
“It was time for my bachelorette party and I was so excited,” remembered the millennial. “But after a fun night with friends, we came back to the house to go swimming. In a playful gesture, a friend pushed me in the pool.”
Unprepared for the rowdy roughhousing, Chapman fell into the water headfirst. The fall broke her neck and caused an instant spinal cord injury.
However, in 2011, after undergoing a year of rehab, she and supportive husband Chris tied the knot in front loved ones — including the woman responsible for her enduring immobility.
In fact, the unnamed pal behind the push served as one of Chapman’s bridesmaids.
“I could go into detail about everything that happened that night,” said Chapman. “But now, the story is about love, family, and overcoming odds.”
“We got married a year later, had a baby girl four years after that and [are now] living our best life,” she gushed. “In a lot of ways I’m really really lucky.”
And she’s right.
Sadly, a handful of brides-to-be never got to experience their happily ever afters following unexpected tragedies.
Samantha Hutchinson, 34, was killed by a drunk driver mere moments after her April 2023 nuptials.
And widow Jhonnie Mae Davis, 44, has unpleasantly been nicknamed the “one-hour wife” after her groom, Toraze, suffered a fatal heart attack within minutes of their June 2023 vows.
Chapman hopes her story inspires folks facing misfortunes similar to her situation.
“Let me take this opportunity to say that I do want there to be a cure and I think about it often,” said the advocate. “But it’s possible to want that and still get on with life being grateful for what you currently have, and I know that.”
“My message to you is to stay grateful, humble and kind,” she continued. “And be careful around water.”
