A woman has shared heartbreaking footage of the moment she married the love of her life, just one day before he died.
Navar Herbert, 22, died on Tuesday (June 25) shortly after marrying Maia Falwasser in a love-filled ceremony in front of their closest family and friends.
The rugby player, from New Zealand, was diagnosed with a brain tumour just months ago, however his condition quickly deteriorated.
You can watch the video of the couple’s wedding day below:
The video was shared on a GoFundMe page set up by Maia to raise money so the family could fly Navar’s body back to his hometown of Otorohanga, New Zealand, where the 22-year-old asked to be laid to rest.
Maia wrote:
Today my heart is heavy and sad, I lost my best friend, Husband and the Father to our Son. I feel absolutely showered in LOVE by friends and family, this is a hard time, however i do find my strength and refuge in everybody’s support.
Navar’s Journey has just begun, shortly we will be taking him back to Kotahitanga Marae, where he has asked to be laid to rest. He has impacted so many people near and far, and he will always be in our memories and have a special place in our hearts.
The couple have an 11-month-old son Kyrie, who was there to witness the special moment his parents tied the knot on Monday (June 24), the New Zealand Herald reports.
The footage shared by Maia shows Navar being assisted by his family to get ready for the big day, as he sits in an armchair. He is then taken to the ceremony in a wheelchair.
As Maia walks down the aisle and greets him, Navar says: ‘Hello my wife, hello my baby. I love you’. The couple and their guests fight back tears as they exchange their vows and rings, and swear to ‘be partners for life’.
After the ceremony, a group of men performed a moving haka to the couple, before coming up to congratulate them on their union.
Navar’s rugby club, the Nerang Bulls, have organised a celebration of his life today (June 28) and have been fundraising to help with costs to bring his body home.
On hearing of his passing, a spokesperson for the club said:
Nerang Bulls Rugby Union Club Committee would like to send all our love to our own Herbert Family on the sad news this morning that Navar has grown his wings over night.
Rest in peace, Navar. Our thoughts are with his loved ones at this difficult time.
You can donate to the GoFundMe page here.
If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence contact Cruse Bereavement Care via their national helpline on 0808 808 1677.
A Broadcast Journalism Masters graduate who went on to achieve an NCTJ level 3 Diploma in Journalism, Lucy has done stints at ITV, BBC Inside Out and Key 103. While working as a journalist for UNILAD, Lucy has reported on breaking news stories while also writing features about mental health, cervical screening awareness, and Little Mix (who she is unapologetically obsessed with).