COLUMBUS, Ohio — This November will mark 14 years since Columbus resident Mike Jarvis was paralyzed in a car crash.
He always dreamed of being able to walk again, and thanks to innovative technology, he was able to reclaim the moment of dancing with his wife at their wedding.
July 8, 2023 was the day Mike and Olivia Jarvis got married, surrounded by family and friends in Columbus. It marked the first day of their new beginning. And the first day they realized anything is possible.
“It was tears everywhere,” Olivia said.
“We did a good job keeping it secret,” Mike said.
This secret they kept was a big one. One they weren't sure they'd even be able to pull off.
But if anyone believed they could, it was Olivia, having full faith Mike would make it happen for all the reasons she loves him.
“His confidence, leadership and he's just a happy person. He's been through a lot and he's still so joyful about life. It's inspiring,” she said.
Olivia and Mike met in December 2021. Long before that, Mike had big dreams of becoming a lawyer and starting a family.
But his life was almost cut short in college.
“November 2009,” he said. “So coming up on 14 years exactly.”
His can-do attitude was put to the ultimate test.
“I was a passenger in a car accident. It was a fraternity trip,” he said. “It was just kind of a freak accident. I was thrown from the vehicle and I landed right on my neck and back.”
He was in the hospital for weeks.
“Shoulder height down is where my injury is,” he said.
He was paralyzed and learned he would never walk again. All of his dreams were on the line.
“I always wanted to be a dad and have a family and my disability really weighed on me. It really made me question whether would that ever happen. You know would I find anyone who would want to put up with this? For lack of a better term, it's a lot. I can't fault anyone who doesn't want to,” he said.
Mike moved forward and remained positive. Not only did he become a lawyer, he met Olivia. Not long after they met, the wedding planning began.
But they knew the traditional moments of walking down the aisle and sharing a first dance would be different.
“We had practiced dancing in my chair. With Olivia and Aubree right here,” he said, pointing to the floor of their living room.
Mike can't walk, let alone dance. He can only stand with the support of an exoskeleton that he has used in therapy sessions before.
During this physical therapy session not long before the wedding, Olivia and Mike shared a slow dance. And it was then that it clicked.
They asked the company that makes it, Ekso Bionics, if they could borrow it for their wedding.
There was no guarantee, as it would take a lot of logistical planning. They would have to ship the device from California to Columbus. They would need a physical therapist in Columbus to then operate it. Luckily, a physical therapist from OhioHealth was more than willing to donate her time the night of the wedding.
So the answer, to their surprise, was yes. And because they said yes to the exoskeleton, this dream moment became a reality.
Mike was able to walk down the aisle and share a first dance with Olivia and her daughter Aubree.
“It was incredible. I mean it was like nothing I've felt before,” Mike said.
“It's kind of something you take for granted but hugging your husband standing up like looking up at him, I mean he's 6'4" so it's just so nice you know and I didn't think that would ever happen let alone at our wedding with everyone and our parents like looking up being able to dance in his arms,” Olivia said.
And they kept this all a secret for their family and friends.
A new beginning celebrating the chance to walk again. Although it was short-lived, it's a moment they'll remember all their lives.
And the proof that anything's possible is a gift the Jarvis family feels a responsibility to share with others.
“It's a responsibility to just to do the best that I can,” Mike said. “Make the best of every opportunity that I can and show people that attitude is as important as anything.”
