There were nights when Laura Faganello would wake up with a stranger next to her. She香蕉视频直播檇 panic as the man would try to calm her, telling her she was safe.

That man was her husband of over three years.

Laura, 23, and Brayden Faganello, 25, came into one another香蕉视频直播檚 lives in 2015, when Brayden香蕉视频直播檚 cousins 香蕉视频直播� classmates of Laura香蕉视频直播檚 at the University of Victoria 香蕉视频直播� put them in touch. Brayden was doing mission work in South Africa and the two corresponded by letters and emails for about nine months until they were both back in Victoria where they quickly became close friends.

Both photographers, Brayden would take Laura down forested back roads to hidden lookout points and secret clearings. Film cameras in hand, the pair explored the secluded beauty of Greater Victoria香蕉视频直播檚 wilderness, falling in love along the way.

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In April, 2016 Brayden proposed in one of their favourite forest clearings. And just months later, on a sunny summer day, the couple married in Langley.

香蕉视频直播淚t was like being with your best friend all the time,香蕉视频直播� Brayden said. 香蕉视频直播淚 remember it being fun and enjoying every moment of every day.香蕉视频直播�

Nine months after the wedding, a freak accident put their vows to the test.

Laura had just finished her last exam of the spring semester when she agreed to help a friend set up for an outdoor event.

Laura felt uneasy almost as soon as she arrived at the job. She said the scene was in disarray, with people balancing on top of ladders and equipment, tents and outdoor furniture everywhere. As the wind picked up, Laura even thought to herself, 香蕉视频直播榮omeone is going to get hurt here today.香蕉视频直播�

Remembering it now is difficult and Laura is left only with fragments of chaos 香蕉视频直播� wind knocking over stacks of glasses, people tying balloons on top of tents. Then, as she leaned over, smoothing out the wrinkles on a table cloth, Laura heard a 香蕉视频直播渉uge gasp.香蕉视频直播�

A steel pole, a few inches thick and over six feet tall, fell and struck the back of her head.

香蕉视频直播淚香蕉视频直播檓 sure people would say this is silly but I feel like I felt my brain thump 香蕉视频直播� the sound was disgusting,香蕉视频直播� she said. 香蕉视频直播淚 immediately felt ill. I felt like I was going to throw up, I felt like I was going to faint.香蕉视频直播�

Laura香蕉视频直播檚 injury was dismissed as minor by people at the event but she became increasingly dazed, lost and withdrawn over the next few hours.

She got a text from Brayden asking, 香蕉视频直播淗ow are you?香蕉视频直播�

She stared at the phone, wondering who he was.

香蕉视频直播淚 got hit in the head,香蕉视频直播� she texted the stranger named Brayden.

When he came to get her, he says she was 香蕉视频直播渂lank.香蕉视频直播� 香蕉视频直播淪he couldn香蕉视频直播檛 even hardly say anything,香蕉视频直播� he recalled. 香蕉视频直播淭here were tears welling up in her eyes.香蕉视频直播�

Laura couldn香蕉视频直播檛 verbalize her confusion or pain. She didn香蕉视频直播檛 get to a hospital until a week later, and even though the scans were clear, her health was rapidly declining. She was in constant, debilitating pain and experienced frequent nausea. Along with a traumatic brain injury, the pole had damaged Laura香蕉视频直播檚 spine, causing spasms and horrific tension headaches. One night the pain was so bad she was convinced she was dying.

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Laura香蕉视频直播檚 constant pain was only one part of the challenge the newlyweds would have to overcome.

香蕉视频直播淚 was waking up and I didn香蕉视频直播檛 know where I was, I didn香蕉视频直播檛 know who [Brayden] was,香蕉视频直播� she said. 香蕉视频直播淚 would wake up in a panic, screaming if he was in bed with me. Because I had no idea who this stranger was, I thought I was in danger.香蕉视频直播�

Although there were moments of clarity, Laura lived in a daze, swallowed up by confusion and uncertainty. She managed to hide the severity of her memory loss from her husband.

香蕉视频直播淚 could make small talk. I had to coach myself [and] think of topics, because I didn香蕉视频直播檛 know what to ask him,香蕉视频直播� she recalled. It would be months before Brayden 香蕉视频直播� and Laura 香蕉视频直播� fully grasped the extent of her memory loss, which was both short and long-term. Even when she could recognize Brayden as her husband, she didn香蕉视频直播檛 feel like she knew him.

香蕉视频直播淚 got to a point where I felt like, I really want to leave [the marriage] but I don香蕉视频直播檛 want to live the rest of my life feeling like I gave up,香蕉视频直播� Laura said. 香蕉视频直播淚 respected him as a person, he香蕉视频直播檚 very sweet, very thoughtful 香蕉视频直播� I knew he loved me so I thought, 香蕉视频直播榦kay I need to try.香蕉视频直播櫹憬妒悠抵辈��

Laura told Brayden, 香蕉视频直播業 want to try to fall in love again.香蕉视频直播�

Brayden drove Laura to all of their old spots in the forest, trying to help her remember the pieces of a love story that had been lost. 香蕉视频直播淚 would tell her stories of things we did and how we met,香蕉视频直播� he recalled. 香蕉视频直播淎nd I香蕉视频直播檇 go over those things over and over, using as much detail as I could to paint that picture as vividly as I could.香蕉视频直播�

香蕉视频直播淚 knew I would take care of her, I knew I loved her. I was willing to put that effort in.香蕉视频直播�

Laura香蕉视频直播檚 pain is ever-present, but improving. And the couple still has to work at their marriage, re-building something that was lost in a single moment.

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Last week they got engaged again, starting their marriage anew, focused entirely on living in the present.

香蕉视频直播淪he had every excuse in the world to bail out and say, 香蕉视频直播榯his is too much,香蕉视频直播� and I did too,香蕉视频直播� Brayden said. 香蕉视频直播淲e feel like a lot of the good things in life, you can香蕉视频直播檛 just sit around and wait for them to come to you. You have to choose to be happy.香蕉视频直播�

When Laura shared their story online it went viral around the world. She hopes it helps inspire people to work through their own trauma or pain.

香蕉视频直播淚 know that we spend so much time on the negative香蕉视频直播�but the whole point of us sharing this is because we香蕉视频直播檙e happy now,香蕉视频直播� she said. 香蕉视频直播淎nd so that香蕉视频直播檚 very important to me, showing that we created something beautiful out of a bad thing.香蕉视频直播�