Terminally ill father walks daughter down the aisle in honorary ceremony

(Love Song Photography)


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MURRIETA, Calif. — Jim Zetz has stage four pancreatic cancer. Due to the nature of his illness, he and his family have been trying to come to terms with the fact that he will miss certain milestones in his daughter’s life.

His daughter, Josie, had expressed particular sadness at her dad not being able to walk her down the aisle.

When photographer Lindsey Vilaltoro heard this, she snapped into action, putting together a surprise “daddy-daughter ceremony,” with a cake, presents and a dress.

"One day [you] wake up and realize you're given the opportunity to change someone's life for the better," she wrote after the ceremony. "You get an idea, don't think twice, and run with it."

On her 11th birthday, Josie walked arm in arm down the aisle with her father. The pastor who oversaw the proceedings declared them “daddy and daughter.”

“Your dad may not get to see you get married, but he is here to walk you down the aisle today,” Gary Galbraith, the officiating pastor, told the Press Enterprise. “The daddy and daughter relationship is one of the most special relationships in life.”

Other friends and strangers contributed their skills and support to make the day extra special for the family.

"Down the road, this will mean a lot to her," Jim Zetz, 62, told the Press-Enterprise. "She will always remember it."

The heartwarming video details the events of the day, capturing the emotion and beauty of the relationship between father and daughter.

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Amanda Taylor

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