Just hours after saying “I do,” my baby sister Amanda and her new husband, Cameron, found themselves in a hospital instead of enjoying the wedded bliss of their first night together as Mr. and Mrs. Gillespie.
On March 13, 2026, Amanda and Cameron exchanged heartfelt vows and began their life together surrounded by family and friends who came to celebrate their love. After the reception, the newlyweds began their drive to Florida so they could catch their cruise to Cancun on Sunday, March 15 to begin their long-awaited honeymoon.
Exhausted from the excitement and emotions of the day, they decided to stop at a hotel after only a couple of hours of driving to get some rest before continuing their trip. Not long after falling asleep, Amanda woke to Cameron shaking beside her. She quickly realized something was terribly wrong—Cameron was having a seizure. During the episode he began choking on his own saliva and blood after biting his cheek and tongue. Amanda managed to get him onto his side and help him breathe until emergency help arrived.
Cameron was taken to Owensboro Health Hospital in Owensboro, Kentucky. Thankfully, his scans and bloodwork came back normal. While Cameron has experienced seizures before, he has never been formally diagnosed, and this was the first one he has had since he and Amanda began their relationship. When Cameron was 17, he suffered a traumatic brain injury that required surgeons to remove a portion of his brain. Unfortunately, seizures can be a long-term side effect of that injury.
After such a frightening experience, Amanda and Cameron made the heartbreaking decision to cancel their honeymoon cruise so they could focus on Cameron’s health and safety. Sadly, they were unable to recover any of the money they spent on the trip.
Amanda and Cameron are not wealthy individuals. Cameron currently works as the sole provider while Amanda finishes her college degree. Doctors have advised that Cameron should avoid driving, operating heavy machinery, or doing anything that could put himself or others at risk if another seizure were to occur. They will be following up with his primary care physician and seeking a referral to a neurologist to determine the best path forward.
This GoFundMe was created to help them recover some of the money lost from the honeymoon they were unable to take. Their goal is $3,000, though truly any amount would help.
If you are able, please consider donating to support this wonderful couple and help them one day take the honeymoon they had been so excited to begin. If donating isn’t possible, sharing their story would mean so much to them as well.
