The Perfect Day for my Bride to be

To my dear supporters,  Above is a picture of my bride to be and I. My bride's name is Shanna, and I feel lucky to announce that I will be marrying her next summer on September 19th (yes, she is aware of this). She is my high school sweetheart, and I love her with everything that I have. I hope to give Shanna everything that she deserves in this life and make that day when we exchange our vows the happiest and most memorable day for her. I cannot do this on my own- that's why I am here in need of  your help. In order for you to understand the circumstance at hand, I will give you a snapshot of my life. Since I was 6 years old adversity became a word ingrained in me. This began with the sound of my mother's cry after another drunken night. She awoke the next day with bruises from the wrath of my father, and confusion from the sound of loud knocking at the door. It was the Department of Human Services, and they were ready to take my siblings and I to a new home. We were guided to their car as my parents watched us leave from their lives forever. When we were departing I remember my dad saying “Don’t worry Zach, we will bring you back home soon." It has been 15 years since that day when my dad made that promise. For several years I waited patiently to go home, but then my heart grew bitter because I began to  understand the reality. It wasn't that my parents were unable to reunite the family, the truth was that they were unwilling to deny their alcoholism and assume responsibility. After this realization I promised myself that I would never live like my parents. I had to be strong for my brother and sisters no matter where we were at. Throughout the years we had been placed in multiple foster homes. Never did we reside in a place of security, a place where we knew we were loved, a place of support, or a place where our guardians had plans for our future. Instead, we were left on our own. At the end of high school I was encouraged by advisors to attend college, although I knew that it would be unaffordable. Still, I prayed to God and pushed forward until I found myself holding a letter from the Ford Family Foundation. The letter indicated that they would give me funds so that I would be able to pursue a bachelor's degree at OSU. Now I am at another point of transition in my life, and I really need your help. The point of my story was to demonstrate the lack of outside help. I will be getting married this summer before starting my senior year and preparing for physician assistant (PA) school at OHSU. Shanna also has a lot going on and is preparing to attend nursing school through OHSU. Because of this it is very difficult to put aside money for our wedding. I work as a wild land fire fighter for ODF during the summer and have been selling merchandise online during the school year, but together those sources are still not enough. I wouldn't have been able to start my college career without that support that came in the mail. Likewise, I cannot do this without your support. I have not seen my family in years and am on my own. The last message I read from my mom said that “I am dead to her". I understand that some of you may think “it would be better for you to wait" or "you are too young to marry", but neither of those statements are true. Yes, we are young and we could wait, but our love is mature and there is no better time than now. I would love to be able to make my Shanna smile, and help her feel secure in that we have help from others. I refuse to make excuses and tell myself that we will not be able to have a great wedding because of financial difficulties. For one day in my life, I want to feel like I can rely on others- not for me, but for my bride to be, my biggest fan, who deserves to feel special on her wedding day. I want to keep this a secret and not show Shanna this webpage until my goal has been reached. I cannot wait to see her light up with excitement when I show her! I may not always be able to provide on my own, but the Lord will always provide and I pray that he will bless you as you bless us. Thank you for your generosity and God bless you.  Sincerely,Zach Brown