From College Romance to Friendship — and Back Again After One Life-Changing Moment

When a couple reunited after tragedy, their love blossomed into a beautiful story. The pair, Sloan and Matt Bowan, had gone out a couple of times, but didn’t go steady until Matt became quadriplegic. Now, they have a beautiful life together.

Couple Reunited After Tragedy

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The two were college-aged when they first met and had gone on a few dates, but they initially decided to stay friends.

“We say it's a blessing in disguise,” says Sloan. “I liked him at the time, but I was respecting that he wanted to just be friends.”

When Matt went on spring break in California, he got into a rough body surfing incident that broke his neck. He would eventually find out he’d lost partial sensation and voluntary movement in his torso and limbs. He was eventually life-flighted from Cali back to Utah, where he would recover.

Then, Sloan went to visit him in the hospital.

“I was just prepared to see him for three to five minutes,” she remembered. “I was just going to say, ‘Hi, I'm here for you, so sorry this happened.’ I had no expectations.”

Matt’s mom greeted her and told Sloan she needed to leave to take care of Matt’s younger sister. Sloan ended up staying with Matt for eight hours that day.

“Matt had a tracheotomy at the time, so he couldn’t speak, but Sloan could tell what he was trying to say when he moved his lips.

Love Blossoms After the Accident

They would text each other, and Matt would invite her to the hospital over the coming weeks.

“We just built a genuine friendship,” says Sloan. “I didn't have the pressure of having to stay if it just generally didn't work out.”

Six months after Matt got out of the hospital, he asked Sloan out.

“Sloan never made me feel like a burden and never saw the disability first,” Matt said. “Given my experiences with other people, it became really clear that this is someone I wanted to spend my life with.”

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Matt wanted to get married, but Sloan was a little hesitant. 

“I knew how much caregiving would take out of me,” she says. “I wanted to really know it was worth it.” When she prayed about it, she felt sure they had a good life ahead of them. 

An Interabled Marriage Isn’t Easy, but It’s Worth It

Their first year of marriage was very difficult. 

“It was really hard, but the tough love set in and now he's 100% independent, which is very huge as a quadriplegic,” says Sloan. “It's definitely more of a team effort.”

Now, they educate others about their interabled relationship and cultivate education about disabilities. 

“I’m not a very good videographer or anything — it’s just a creative outlet for me,” Sloan said. “I don’t necessarily care about follower count. I genuinely just want to help people, and even if we’re just there to bring entertainment and a smile to someone’s face, that’s great.”

Now, the happy couple shares a four-year-old boy, who was born blind, and a four-month old daughter. 

Their love story hasn’t been smooth, but after a decade together, they know more than ever that they’re definitely right for each other. How precious!

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h/t: People

Featured Image Credit: CANVA

Michaela Gordoni is an avid reader and part-time globe-trotter. With a bachelor's degree in International Relations and experience in the non-profit world, she has a passion for people and reporting. You can check out her portfolio here.