PLYMOUTH, Minnesota — This is a story about resilience. It centers around a woman who was about to get married, have that dream wedding, only to have things fall apart, days before.
Ordinary life can turn in a second. Heidi Gray, a film technician at Vitreo Retinal Surgery group knows it all too well.
"I was in a serious relationship," she said. "The person that I loved the most in this world and he asked me to marry him. I couldn't be more happy."
That happy moment was a year ago. However, with her wedding date set for three weeks from today and a venue in downtown Minneapolis secured, Gray found out unwelcome news about her fiance.
"Pretty bad lies," Gray said. "Unfaithfulness. That's pretty much the gist of it."
With just 22 days left to the big day, everything came crashing down.
"I mourned for two to three days and I said this is enough," Gray said. "I can't do it. My kids can't see me like this, my coworkers, may patients, they can't see me like this. I have to be strong, put one foot in front of the other."
Gray said she couldn't bear to let herself and her two boys down. So she decided to keep the venue and the date.
"I want to use the Radisson which is where my wedding was supposed to be, keep everything the same and I want to give back," she said. "Give back to the community, the police officers and the fire departments. I want them to come and enjoy dinner on me."
She said she gets the courage to turn pain into a positive thing from her family and her friends.
"I have always been the independent one," she said. "I'm raising two brilliant boys and I have to be strong. I can't show my weak side to them. I Want them to be proud of their mom."
So on Saturday Oct. 19, at the Radisson Blu in downtown Minneapolis, police officers and fire fighters are all invited for a meal and a party.
"I want them to walk away with the same gratitude and thanks that I'm getting," she said.
If you are a first responder and would like to attend Gray's party, you can find the link to the Facebook event here.
Gray said donations are welcome, as they will go to charities that are near and dear to her heart, like towards the VRS foundation, The Dementia Foundation and the Mike Zimmer foundation to support under privileged children that cannot afford to play sports.
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