Jeremy Stamper said he was heartbroken when he learned that just a few weeks into their marriage, his wife, Justice Stamper, had lost her short-term memory in a car accident and had forgotten details of their wedding day.
“She finally came out and said she didn’t remember the wedding,” Stamper, of Bristol, Tenn., told ABC News. “I said, ‘Don’t worry. We’ll do it again.'”
Stamper, 21, said she and Justice met at their church’s Sunday school class when they were around 10 and 11 years old.
Jeremy Stamper married his new wife a second time after she lost all memory of their first wedding in a car accident. Photo: Kayla Williams/Justice Stamper (Facebook)
The two were separated for many years but rekindled their relationship during their high school years.
“She asked a friend for my number and we hit it off from then on,” Stamper said. “You could say it was a childhood crush. I thought she was the cutest girl ever. We dated for 11 months and then got engaged.”
After a two-year engagement, Stamper and Justice were officially married on August 1, 2014, in front of 70 friends and family.
“It had a rustic sunflower theme,” Stamper recalls. “It was just perfect.”
Stamper said that on Aug. 20, just two days before the couple was scheduled to move into their new apartment, his wife, Justice, 20, was in a horrific car accident in Virginia that left her with mild memory loss.
Jeremy Stamper married the love of his life for a second time after a car accident wiped all memory of his first wedding. Photo: Justice Stamper/Facebook
Stamper said the crash happened just before 1:15 p.m.
“She called and all I could hear was her screaming,” Stamper recalled. “I don’t remember anything after that. I got in my truck and sprinted over to make sure she was OK.”
Justice was rushed to Smith County Community Hospital in Marion, Virginia, and was released a day later, Stamper said.
When the symptoms didn’t progress, the family’s doctor diagnosed Justice with a concussion, Stamper said.
Stamper said Justice’s therapist, Denise Miller, diagnosed her with post-traumatic stress disorder.
When contacted by ABC News, the hospital declined to comment on the matter, citing privacy laws that prohibit it from releasing patient information.
ABC News was unable to reach Dr. Dennis Miller for comment.
Stamper said that as the recovery process began, his wife confided that she couldn’t remember what should have been the most memorable day of her life – their wedding day.
“When she complained of memory loss, doctors told her it may or may not come back,” he said.
“She has no memory of signing the lease, renting the apartment, making plans, all of that.
“she [wedding] She said she looked at the pictures, she looked at the video and she couldn’t remember anything. It just upsets her.”
Although Stamper was saddened by the news, he promised his wife they would have another wedding, and they plan to tie the knot on August 1, 2015, their first anniversary.
Although Justice said she was excited, she recalled being completely shocked when her husband told her she would be a bride again.
“He never cries, but he’s become very sensitive since the accident,” she said. “He’s just a big, old, gentle giant.”
“I can’t wait to see the look on his face when I walk down the aisle,” Justice added with a laugh. “I want to see that moment.”
Of the 150 guests, the Stampers will renew their vows at the original venue, but Justice will be the only one wearing a different gown from her first.
Following their second wedding, the couple said they plan to enjoy six nights in Myrtle Beach, a honeymoon gift donated by their photography company and a local radio station.
Now a year into their marriage, the Stampers said they are looking to fulfill their dream of starting a family.
“I’d like to have one child and then adopt lots of babies,” Justice said.
“We’ve got to be like, ‘We’ve got 19 kids,'” Stamper interjected.
“We want to hold onto memories that most of us take for granted,” he added.
“They go through it, but they don’t cherish it like they should. Hold them like they’re the last thing on earth, because when they’re gone, it’s awful.”