Shop
 Explore 

Bride walks down the aisle with the 15 men who helped her escape from an abusive father

Thanks to these men, she was was never alone.

weddings, father daughter, abusive fathers,

@karrahcreativeevents/Instagram

She walked up with an entire army.

While the cynic might label the wedding tradition of a father walking his daughter down the aisle as some sort of nod to patriarchy, many brides dream of the moment, picturing it as a sweet send-off from the man who protected and cared for them throughout childhood to the man who will now fulfill those duties in adulthood.

But the truth is, for many, Dad wasn’t the protector…he was the opposite. So the notion of being given away by him feels inappropriate. And at the same time, there can be shame or regret for not getting to participate in such an endearing moment.

That’s why one bride’s unique idea to have not one, not two, but 15 positive male figures in her life accompany her down the aisle on her wedding day is infusing other women with hope for their own big day—even if Dad won’t be there.

Ivy Jurgensen, 28, shared with Good Morning America that a decade ago, her father was convicted of rape of a child and child molestation and was sentenced to prison.

As a teen, Jurgensen would confide in a school resource officer about the abuse she was experiencing at home. Though she was raised to distrust law enforcement, the officer’s genuine care and “big heart” dissolved her fears. She credits their friendship as being “vital” to her ability to "escape and find justice." He even inspired her to become a cop herself.

Thanks to this officer, along with her brother and uncle, her brother-in-law, her childhood sports coaches and a handful of other close friends, Jurgenson said she was “never alone” during a traumatic childhood.

In a video posted to Instagram by the event designer, we see Jurgensen looking lovely in her wedding dress as these outstanding men collectively stand by her side, taking turns walking her down the aisle toward her new husband, Tristen. Indeed, she certainly doesn’t look lonely.

Watch:

See on Instagram

The moment quickly went viral online and deeply resonated with other survivors. One person wrote:

“This is beautiful. Have had an abusive father myself, I know what that does to our heart and soul. Raising a daughter who is now 20, she has been fatherless since 5, I see what his absence has done to her.

To all the good men out there, you don’t need to be blood to be a father or role model, the love and respect you will receive back is endless. 💞”

Being able to honor her male champions was special for Jurgensen, but she hopes that her story also helps others.

"I hope that what people take away from my story is strength. That they are able to gain courage to get and receive help that they deserve and to no longer be voiceless," she told GMA. "You are not alone and deserve to be heard and get justice. Saving yourself could be saving other unknown victims."

Congrats to Ivy and Tristen. And thank you to those 15 men who never stopped showing up.

From Your Site Articles

video

Joy

Unlikely couple falls in love after man rents woman’s spare room as an Airbnb

The funny thing about love is that the person we fall in love with, more often than not, we run into by accident. Another strange twist is that the love of our life is likely to show up when we least expect it.

The following story, which feels like the promise of a hit rom-com, comes courtesy of a twist of fate created by the World Cup and an Airbnb.

In 2013, after six years of battling an illness, Ana was living in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Having been financially drained by years of being sick, she invested the last of her money to buy two bunk beds and convert one of her bedrooms into an Airbnb for small groups of friends.

The Airbnb was a last-ditch effort to pay her rent and medical bills. A year later, the modest investment grew into a success, Ana’s health began to return, and the World Cup, one of the largest sporting events in the world, was coming to Rio.

To take advantage of the soccer fanatics flocking to the Cidade Maravilhosa (Marvelous City), Ana and her roommate, Fabio, turned a half room in their apartment into an Airbnb rental to give tired soccer fans a place to sleep.

“Though it was a small (pantry!) room, we added a bunk bed and listed two beds on Airbnb. One day after the listing went live, we had tons of requests for ‘Fabio’s Pantry,’” she shared. “It was fully booked for the entire World Cup period except for one week in July.”

View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Upworthy (@upworthy)

Around this time, Ana was feeling well enough to go on her first vacation in years and took a quick trip to Uruguay. Just before she left, Ana received a reservation from a man named "Darko B." for the only unbooked days in July.

“I have always been a big fan of the movie ‘Donnie Darko’ and thought it was a strange coincidence, but didn't think anything of it,” Ana wrote. “I accepted the request, let him know I would not be there for check-in and Fabio would care for him until I was back the following week.”

Keep ReadingShow less

travel

Pop Culture

Here’s a paycheck for a McDonald’s worker. And here's my jaw dropping to the floor.

So we've all heard the numbers, but what does that mean in reality? Here's one year's wages — yes, full-time wages. Woo.

Making a little over 10,000 for a yearly salary.

I've written tons of things about minimum wage, backed up by fact-checkers and economists and scholarly studies. All of them point to raising the minimum wage as a solution to lifting people out of poverty and getting folks off of public assistance. It's slowly happening, and there's much more to be done.

But when it comes right down to it, where the rubber meets the road is what it means for everyday workers who have to live with those wages. I honestly don't know how they do it.

Keep ReadingShow less

Family

Woman with an unfortunate name is a warning for parents to consider before naming their kids

Evidently, this is a big problem.

via TheSam_SHow/TikTok and Andrea Piacquadio/Pexels

Samantha has trouble every time she gets a new work email.

The recent trend of parents going out of their way to give their children unique names has brought up a lot of discussion on social media. Some of these names sound cute when a child is 5 years old. But will Caeleigh, Zoomer or Rhyedyr look like a serious adult on a job application in a few years?

A recent viral video on TikTok is a unique twist on the current discussion surrounding names. Samantha Hart has a name that doesn’t seem like it would draw any negative attention in professional circles. However, her parents didn’t consider email conventions when they named her back in the late ‘90s when email was new.

“My name is Samantha Hart,” the 27-year-old said. “Most companies use the email designation of first initial, last name, meaning my email would be shart.” For the uninitiated, a shart is an unintentional release when one thinks they only have gas.

Keep ReadingShow less

funny names

Joy

High school marching band direct themselves after they’re left without a director

They had the option to chose another elective or figure out how to keep the band together, they chose the latter.

Photo by Samuel Ramos on Unsplash

High school band directs themselves after teacher quit

Any parent of a marching band kid will tell you that they're a different breed of kids. From July through November, these kids put in hours of work daily in order to perfect their routines for halftime and competitions. They are often at school before the sun comes up and well after it goes down.

Marching band kids become family so when Pocahontas High School in West Virginia found itself without a band teacher, they decided they would figure out a way to keep their band together. The band originally had 38 members but when the band teacher left over the summer the kids were given a choice to find a new elective to replace band or find a way to make it work.

According to The Real WV, many of the kids did pick other electives but 10 kids decided to take their principal up on the offer to stick it out.

Keep ReadingShow less

band without director

Bride walks down the aisle with the 15 men who helped her escape from an abusive father

Thanks to these men, she was was never alone.

Unlikely couple falls in love after man rents woman’s spare room as an Airbnb

Here’s a paycheck for a McDonald’s worker. And here's my jaw dropping to the floor.

So we've all heard the numbers, but what does that mean in reality? Here's one year's wages — yes, full-time wages. Woo.

I never realized how dumb our cities are until I saw what a smart one looks like.

There's community and there's commuting. Let's not confuse the two.

With the population growing and most of it happening in cities, these Canadian journalists wanted to take a closer look at whether our sprawling modern villages are up to the task of housing more humans.

Woman with an unfortunate name is a warning for parents to consider before naming their kids

Evidently, this is a big problem.

The very real story of how one woman prevented a national tragedy by doing her job

Frances Oldham Kelsey believed thorough research saves lives. She was so right.

Dr. Frances Oldham Kelsey had only been with the Food and Drug Administration for about a month when she was tasked with reviewing a drug named thalidomide for distribution in America.

When Chemie Grünenthal released thalidomide in West Germany years earlier, they called it a "wonder drug" for pregnant women. They promised it would treat anxiety, insomnia, tension, and morning sickness and help pregnant women sleep.

In 1961, the health effects of thalidomide weren't well-known. Only a few studies in the U.K. and Germany were starting to connect the dots between babies born with physical defects and the medication their mothers had taken while pregnant.

Over the next year, the manufacturer would resubmit its application to sell thalidomide six times. Each time, Kelsey asked for more research. Each time, they refused.

Through dogged persistence, Kelsey and her team had prevented a national tragedy.

But, she wasn't done yet. Later that year, the FDA approved new, tougher regulations for companies seeking drug approval, inspired in large part by Kelsey's work on thalidomide.

Bureaucratic approval work is rarely thrilling and not often celebrated. That's a shame because it's so critical.

High school marching band direct themselves after they’re left without a director

They had the option to chose another elective or figure out how to keep the band together, they chose the latter.

Do you know your pet's love language? A new survey reveals which one is the most popular.

The way to your pet's heart isn't always toys or treats.

Baby meets his dad's twin brother in an adorable viral video

Mom shares 5 questions to ask your kids after school, instead of 'How was your day?'

This 4-year-old’s reaction coming home from school is all of us after a long day

16-year-old wows 'The Voice' judges with her piercing voice. Then she began yodeling.

Slow motion video of jumping baby goats is a great life lesson in disguise

Professional trainer shares the one big sign that shows you have a 'cocky' dog

Bride walks down the aisle with the 15 men who helped her escape from an abusive father

Thanks to these men, she was was never alone.

So we've all heard the numbers, but what does that mean in reality? Here's one year's wages — yes, *full-time* wages. Woo.

There's community and there's commuting. Let's not confuse the two.

With the population growing and most of it happening in cities, these Canadian journalists wanted to take a closer look at whether our sprawling modern villages are up to the task of housing more humans.

Evidently, this is a big problem.

Frances Oldham Kelsey believed thorough research saves lives. She was so right.

Dr. Frances Oldham Kelsey had only been with the Food and Drug Administration for about a month when she was tasked with reviewing a drug named thalidomide for distribution in America.

When Chemie Grünenthal released thalidomide in West Germany years earlier, they called it a "wonder drug" for pregnant women. They promised it would treat anxiety, insomnia, tension, and morning sickness and help pregnant women sleep.

In 1961, the health effects of thalidomide weren't well-known. Only a few studies in the U.K. and Germany were starting to connect the dots between babies born with physical defects and the medication their mothers had taken while pregnant.

Over the next year, the manufacturer would resubmit its application to sell thalidomide six times. Each time, Kelsey asked for more research. Each time, they refused.

Through dogged persistence, Kelsey and her team had prevented a national tragedy.

But, she wasn't done yet. Later that year, the FDA approved new, tougher regulations for companies seeking drug approval, inspired in large part by Kelsey's work on thalidomide.

Bureaucratic approval work is rarely thrilling and not often celebrated. That's a shame because it's so critical.

They had the option to chose another elective or figure out how to keep the band together, they chose the latter.

The way to your pet's heart isn't always toys or treats.

So we've all heard the numbers, but what does that mean in reality? Here's one year's wages — yes, full-time wages. Woo.