Man who suffered severe burns from chemical spill gets married in hospital

Georgia couple Preston and Tanesha Cobb were all set to get married on July 22, but severe injuries that the groom-to-be suffered while he was at work on June 30 nearly hampered their wedding, Fox Carolina reported.

“I was like, ‘Man, she’s not going to want to marry me,’” Preston said in reference to Tanesha. “I’m not the same person that asked her to marry me.” 

Preston, described as a decorated ex-soldier, sustained injuries from a chemical spill that burned 32% of his body, a GoFundMe set up for him states. In the wake of the incident, Preston was airlifted to the Augusta Burn ICU where he is still on admission and receiving medical care. 

The chemical spill resulted in Preston losing nine of his toes while multiple fingers on his hands were either amputated or partially amputated. “I literally watched the skin from my elbow like detach and literally just go to dust and crumble,” Preston said. “I literally felt like that was going to be the end.”

But Preston’s condition did not deter Tanesha from changing her mind about marrying the love of her life. She has also remained by her husband’s side – a commitment that best represents the “for better or worse” saying. 

“There’s nothing that would stop me from marrying him,” Tanesha said. “Nothing. I knew that this day would come. I didn’t think it would be like this.”

The couple also decided to stick with the July 22 date, and a JMS Burn Center nurse who overheard them talking about their wedding offered to help. The couple also welcomed the idea, leading the nurse, Mary Cook, and her colleagues to arrange for food, a DJ, flowers, and a set up for the venue, Fox Carolina reported.

“I wanted to give him something positive out of all this negative,” Cook said. “Preston was adamant that he was not going to change his wedding date.”

Preston said his condition did not stop him from “marrying the woman of my dreams.”