Sam Schmidt was an Indy car driver when a wreck left him unable to walk over 20 years ago. But he wasn’t going to let that stop him from dancing with his daughter on her wedding day.
With every girl’s wedding dream comes the dream of dancing with her father.
That seemed impossible for Savannah Boehrer.
Savannah is the beautiful daughter of Sam Schmidt, a former IndyCar driver who was tragically paralyzed from the neck down in the year 2000.
He was on a routine lap at World Disney World Speedway when his car hit a concrete wall and severed his spinal cord. Savannah was only 2 years old when the accident happened.
Sheila, Schmidt’s wife, was told that he wouldn’t survive for another five years and that he would need the ventilator for life.
They were wrong.
Schmidt conquered it all and is now very much alive at 56 years old. He even founded and launched the Schmidt Peterson Motorsports which is now called the Arrow McLaren SP.
He also founded the Conquer Paralysis Now which “funds scientific research, medical treatment, rehabilitation and technological advances that lead us toward a cure.”
Schmidt knew it was a matter of time until his precious daughter would someday marry. and he wanted nothing more but to give her the father-daughter dance any girl dreams of.
Then, he “had a feeling”.
In the year 2019, the former race driver “had a feeling” that the marriage proposal for his daughter was gonna happen soon.
With this in mind, the loving father sought the help of the Arrow Electronics engineers.
He wanted to create an exoskeleton that would allow him to walk in preparation for his daughter’s wedding.
This wasn’t all.
As Arrow tirelessly worked on perfecting the exoskeleton, Schmidt spent 5 days a week shedding weight and working his muscles to become stronger for the big day.
Thankfully, all of the efforts were worth it. On the big day, a single moment brought everyone to tears. Savannah saw her dad standing and walking.
“And we walked in together and that was the first time she had seen me standing and walking at all,” the compassionate father shared. “So to say there wasn’t a dry eye in the room was pretty much an understatement.”
Guests were also seen in tears.
“I always dreamed this day would come,” the grateful daughter said. “So, for this one dance, it was incredible just to be his daughter and for him just to be my dad. For us to get to have the daddy-daughter dance that every little girl dreams of. For me to actually look at him, to hold his hands, and just dance.”
The heartfelt video shows the beautiful dance. But of course, another important lady in Schmidt’s life wouldn’t let this chance pass her by.
According to the new bride, “When my mom came up to have the next dance with him, that was when the emotion crashed over the room.”The couple danced to the tune of “Stand By Me.”
The clip shows how happy the Schmidt family was for being gifted this unforgettable moment. It was truly priceless.
A father’s love indeed knows no limit and Mr. Schmidt is the living proof of it.
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