A camera caught an emotional moment when Kathy Poirier, 55, diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) gave her son a moment he’ll cherish forever.
During the wedding reception for her son Zak Poirier she was escorted to her son in a wheelchair. That was when Zak’s younger brothers Nick and Jake helped their mother to her feet. The brothers supported her so she could dance with Zak.
“We had planned it. The actual dance itself was spontaneous,” Zak Poirier, 28, said during a phone interview. “We were both pretty adamant that we wanted to share a dance regardless of how long it was. By the time we got up there, we weren’t really sure how it would work — but it went perfectly, and it was great.”
Before the wedding, Kathy wasn’t sure if she would even be able to stand.
“I was very nervous,” she told Fox News Digital. “I was not nervous about dancing with my son. And I was not nervous about my other two sons holding me up or getting me up. That wasn’t what bothered me.”
“It’s that this was such a milestone in one of my kids’ lives, and it wasn’t what I had envisioned,” she continued. “It was really emotional to have to accept the fact that I can’t stand or use my hands. And that people would be watching me. And I felt like I was going to be judged. But I knew I wanted to do it, and I wasn’t going to let anybody tell me I couldn’t.”
“With a diagnosis of ALS, it’s got nothing but grave news attached to it,” Kathy Poirier added. “But to be in the arms of all three of my sons was just beautiful. It just made me feel strong.”
“I thought everybody was just so beautiful, inspired and supportive,” said the proud mom. “All that fear that I talked about — you know, being worried standing up there — just melted away because I just realized how everybody was just so just downright pleased with my spirit and Zak’s love. It was just wonderful.”
Zak is so happy to see the support his mother is getting.
“I’m really glad that my mom is getting the attention and recognition she deserves because, you know, she goes through this every day … People are resonating with that moment and appreciating that moment,” he added. “It really speaks volumes about my mom in general.”
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