Man paralyzed in accident weds in Medford

Theirs was no ordinary engagement.

Instead of wedding planners, bachelor parties and choosing the perfect venue, they dealt with doctors, tracheotomy tubes and assisted-living facilities.

Instead of taking dance lessons, she learned to read his lips.

Friday, on their 10th anniversary as a couple, they made it official in a small ceremony at a Medford long-term-care center where Arwen Rosa, 29, lives.

Rosa, of Long Beach, was paralyzed last year in a car accident after a tire blew out while he was driving near Odessa, Texas, with his then-girlfriend, Jill Coudray-Rosa, 28, of Ronkonkoma. Coudray-Rosa had learned she was pregnant with their first child nine days before.

She suffered minor injuries in the rollover wreck. He was in a coma for weeks.

"We were told the worst, and that's what we were expecting, but three days later he woke up," she said.

After nearly six months of treatment in Texas, Rosa returned to Long Island, taking residence at Medford Multicare Center. Coudray-Rosa gave birth to a daughter early this year, naming her Odessa.

"The fact that we're still here after our accident is pretty much a miracle," Coudray-Rosa said. "We've been waiting for this day a long time."

Rosa's spinal cord was partially cut in the crash, leaving him a paraplegic with only limited movement in his arms. Because of the tracheotomy, he can't talk, so he mouths words to his bride.

Coudray-Rosa, who lives with her aunt and uncle in Ronkonkoma, said she visits the center at least three times per week to talk, listen to music and just spend time together.

At the wedding, perched in his wheelchair, Rosa silently mouthed his vows. A friend then read them out loud.

"Let's begin our adventure today as if we're beginning our adventure today," his vows read. "For 10 years we've been practicing for now and we've been good at it."

Friends and family cheered, clapped and chanted for the couple throughout the ceremony.

They were both body piercers and part of a traveling performance art troupe that Rosa led, said close friend John "Orb" Altuna, 31, of Brooklyn.

Rosa's mother, Teka Rosa, 55, said the day was a welcome relief after a year of suffering and pain. "This moment, to me, is a miracle," she said.