Accident left her with no memory of her husband. 2 years later, she said 'yes' to him all over again
It's 'The Vow' but in real life.
Laura and Brayden Faganello’s love story has two beginnings. The first began with handwritten letters sent across continents. Though they had never met, they built a connection through words, and when they finally saw each other in person, it was love at first sight. Within a year, they were planning their wedding, which took place in Victoria, Canada, in 2016. The second beginning wasn’t nearly as easy, as nine months after their marriage, Laura, only 23 years old, suffered a traumatic brain injury when a pole struck her head while she was setting up for an event. The impact erased years of her life, and she woke up believing she was 17 again, with no memory of Brayden at all, as per Mum's lounge.
In a Facebook post that is now deleted, Laura explained, "My memory of meeting, falling in love with, and marrying Brayden was gone." Recovery was grueling. She said she had to relearn how to read and write, live with short and long-term memory loss, and cope with constant pain, all while trying to come to terms with being married to someone she didn’t truly know. She admitted there were periods of anger and depression when it felt as though everything had been ripped away, and she desperately hoped her memory would come back, but it never did.
The weight of that loss made her question her marriage. Laura admitted, "I eventually realized I had to make a choice. I couldn’t stay in a marriage that I didn’t remember choosing. It’s really hard to feel completely devoted to a marriage when you feel like you just woke up to it one day." But she also couldn’t ignore Brayden’s patience and kindness. "Even though I didn’t really know who Brayden was, I saw how kind and patient he was with me. He was sweet and silly and quirky, and I wanted to try to make it work," she said. So, Laura took off her rings and told him she wanted to date him, so they started over.
That kind of intentional recommitment is exactly what research has found strengthens couples facing setbacks. A study from the University of Illinois showed that when partners actively engage in "relationship maintenance behaviors" — things like revisiting meaningful places, retelling old stories, and offering consistent reassurance — they report deeper satisfaction and stronger bonds.
Slowly, their love story was rebuilt. Laura later shared, "Brayden became my best friend, and then my crush, and then my love. I haven’t miraculously gotten my memory and all my old feelings for him back, but I have new feelings and new memories. I’ve learned that love is a choice, and I am choosing to love Brayden. Today he proposed to me (again), and I said yes (again)!"
Brayden did everything he could to help her rebuild their bond. He drove her back to their old forest paths and retold the stories of their early days in vivid detail. "And I’d go over those things over and over, using as much detail as I could to paint that picture as vividly as I could," he recalled. He never doubted his choice. "I knew I would take care of her, I knew I loved her. I was willing to put that effort in," he said. Two years after the accident, Laura announced their second engagement online, saying, "I’m so grateful for our new beginning and for the happy future we have ahead of us."
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