Bride left unable to smile in wedding photos after planning stress PARALYSED her face the night before
'HIT BY A TRUCK' Bride left unable to smile in wedding photos after planning stress PARALYSED her face the night before
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A BRIDE became so stressed planning her big day that her face became paralysed the night before, leaving her unable to smile in photos.
Kelly Stech had spent a year organising her dream wedding to her now-husband Benjamin Stech after becoming engaged in July 2022.
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Kelly Stech was left with a paralysed face the night before her wedding
Credit: Kennedy News
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The 30-year-old was unable to smile, but refused to cancel her big day
Credit: KennedyNews/SheenaAnnePhotograph
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Kelly says: "The middle of the day at the venue, my right eyelid just stopped working"
Credit: KennedyNews/SheenaAnnePhotograph
The couple, who began dating in early 2020 after matching on Tinder, forked out $50,000 (£37,000) on their dream day on 6 October 2023.
However, the week before the ceremony, Kelly began feeling under the weather, complaining of ear ache and pain when swallowing.
The 30-year-old woke up with painful, swollen blisters across her right ear, which urgent care doctors put down to the skin infection cellulitis.
Over the next few days, Kelly's symptoms drastically worsened.
The hairdresser, who lives in Illinois, Chicago, US, said: "Exactly a week before the wedding, I was starting to feel under the weather. The following day, at work, I felt like I had an ear infection coming on.
"It hurt to swallow and I felt a popping sensation in my ear.
"I went to urgent care and they said it looked completely fine and there was no infection brewing.
"I woke up that Monday and my ear was completely swollen and blistered. I went back to urgent care and they put me on a steroid and antibiotic for cellulitis.
"I woke up the next day and the pain was worse. I was vomiting non-stop, I couldn't keep anything down.
"My whole body felt like it had been hit by a truck. Then I was laying on the couch later on and making silly faces on Snapchat and couldn't feel the right side of my face moving.
Justin Bieber shocks fans after he reveals his face is PARALYZED by rare virus Ramsay Hunt Syndrome
"[The next day] when I went to smile, the right side of my face just wouldn't move like the left side would.
"My ear had blisters on them. I was full blown panicking and crying. The pressure on my ear felt like it was going to explode.
"I went back to urgent care and they transferred me to a hospital. We were supposed to be going to our rehearsal dinner that night."
Doctors initially said she'd had an allergic reaction to an IV antibiotic that had caused Bell's palsy - a temporary weakness of one side of the face that can also be caused by a virus.
I felt like it was the happiest day of my life but I didn't want people to think I looked miserable... I was in so much pain and so tired
Kelly
Devastated, Kelly refused to cancel her nuptials. She went ahead with the wedding the next day, slashing her ceremony guest list from 200 to 50 members of her close friends and family.
Kelly said: "I barely slept the whole night. There was barely any movement in my mouth.
"I could smile without teeth but if I tried to smile with teeth, it was definitely crooked.
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Kelly and Benjamin Stech planned their day for October 6 2023 having started dating in 2020
Credit: Kennedy News
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Kelly had ear pain and a couple of days later, her ear became swollen and blistered
Credit: Kennedy News
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The blisters in Kelly's ear scabbing over
Credit: Kennedy News
"I wanted to go ahead with the wedding either way. My makeup artist was so good at hiding my paralysis.
"During the ceremony, me and the bridesmaids switched sides so my right-side paralysis wasn't facing my guests.
"The middle of the day at the venue, my right eyelid just stopped working.
"I couldn't go around taking photos anymore, my eyelid was paralysed, I couldn't blink.
"I was holding a handkerchief up to my eye to keep it shut. Everybody kept saying 'sorry you're going through this'.
"I felt like it was the happiest day of my life but I didn't want people to think I looked miserable because I couldn't smile on my wedding day.
"I couldn't drink any alcohol. I was in so much pain and so tired."
'Stress if often a trigger'
Days after tying the knot, Kelly returned to hospital where doctors diagnosed her with Ramsay Hunt syndrome, a complication of shingles.
It's the name given to symptoms of a shingles infection affecting the facial nerve.
Symptoms include blisters around the ear, scalp, hair line and inside the mouth, weakness on the affected side of the face, difficulty closing or blinking the eye and hearing loss.
You don't want to end up paralysed on your wedding day. Don't stress about your shoes or the weather.
Kelly
In June 2022, singer-songwriter Justin Bieber announced that he had been diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt syndrome after experiencing paralysis down the right side of his face.
Kelly believes the disorder was brought on due to the strain of wedding planning over the last year.
Facial Palsy UK says 'stress is often a trigger'.
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Kelly feared people would think she was "miserable" on her wedding day - but she couldn't smile
Credit: KennedyNews/SheenaAnnePhotograph
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Hairdresser Kelly cut her wedding guests down from 200 to just 50 of the couple's closest friends and family
Credit: KennedyNews/SheenaAnnePhotograph
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Kelly says, "I couldn't drink any alcohol. I was in so much pain and so tired"
Credit: KennedyNews/SheenaAnnePhotograph
The charity says: 'Many studies have shown that stress can weaken the immune system, and that people under significant stress are more likely to suffer from infections than those who are not.
'For this reason, it is believed that stress can be linked to outbreaks of shingles, and thus RHS could result.'
Shingles is caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox. After recovering, the virus continues to live in the nerves that it has infected by the virus. It is harmless unless it is reactivated.
Kelly has since regained all the movement in her face but is now urging brides to try and avoid wedding day stress.
Kelly, who is currently eight months pregnant, said: "It's hard to believe this happened. My wedding stress definitely caused this.
"The financial stress of it definitely takes a toll.
"We got to experience first-hand early on what 'in sickness and health' actually meant.
"I tell friends stressed about wedding planning, be grateful you're in this position and don't let it stress you out, you don't want to end up paralysed on your wedding day.
"Don't stress about your shoes or the weather."
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Eight-month-pregnant Kelly tells other brides 'don't stress it'
Credit: KennedyNews/SheenaAnnePhotograph
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