PORTLAND, Ore. — It was an emotional day watching a dream come true for a Sherwood woman. Kenna Hoffstadt, 20, said "yes" to her dream wedding dress this past Sunday and celebrated what it would be like to get married.
"One day out of the blue, she said, 'I know I'm never going to get married, but do you think I could go and try on wedding dresses?'" her mother, Paula Hoffstadt, told KGW.
Kenna is in a wheelchair, paralyzed from the waist down. She also has a bone infection that will ultimately take her life. Kenna had just started at Portland Community College in 2016, when she was in a car that was hit by a drunk driver going the wrong way on Highway 26 near Murray Boulevard. One of Kenna's friends was killed, and she was paralyzed.
She and her mom love watching the TLC wedding show, "Say Yes To The Dress." Kenna had a dream to pick a wedding dress, so her mom's best friend made a plea on social media to get donations of dresses for her to try on.
On Sunday, her son helped Kenna try on a ruby and diamond ring that she liked the best and everyone celebrated Kenna with cupcakes and champagne.
It was emotional for her mom Paula to watch, who is praying her daughter makes it through the holidays, but Kenna wore a smile just as beautiful as her gown.
"There has been so much negative that has happened to Kenna, this is a really good, positive event. You turn on the news and open the paper and it's just all this terrible, negative stuff. But all these people came together and made this young girl's dream come true," Hoffstadt said.
Wedding dress designers donated gowns from as far away as New York and Maryland. Kenna knew she was getting to try them on, but the rest of the party was a surprise.