A grandpa has warmed hearts online after walking up and down his driveway to make sure he was fit enough to accompany is granddaughter down the aisle on her wedding day.
Sunni Murray, from Fairhope, Alabama, considers her grandfather, Lex James, 84, to be her best friend, having lived very close to his house until last year and being “pretty much inseparable.”
After Sunni’s engagement in December 2024, Lex was eager for the wedding to be planned as soon as possible, as Sunni had given him the beautiful honor of walking her down the aisle.
But in May 2025, just a couple of months before the big day, Lex lost his balance and fell, causing a back injury that required a procedure to fix.
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After several weeks of walking being almost intolerable, Lex began physical therapy, which would leave him worn out and not feeling like doing general exercise.
But on July 7, in a heartwarming moment they captured on video, Lex asked Sunni’s mom to take him to the bottom of his driveway so =he could walk back up and start practicing for his role on Sunni’s big day.
These exercises were repeated numerous times a week, Sunni said, until Lex had once more built up the strength necessary to walk his granddaughter down the entire aisle during her wedding on July 19.
Videos of Lex’s commitment went viral when Sunni posted them online.
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She said: “My grandfather and I have always been best friends.
“Until about a year ago I lived very close to his house, and we were pretty much inseparable.
“One day, he asked my mom to drive him to the bottom of the driveway and to drive beside him while he walked back up, which was the first time he volunteered to exercise on his own after his painful fall.
“We had been so worried about him and his condition, but this is when we realized it was going to be okay.
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“It was truly amazing, just as it always has been, to see my Paw go above and beyond for me, regardless of what the situation might be.
“On the wedding day, he did a perfect job.
“He did not have to use his cane, and he made it all the way to the end of the aisle with no problems.
“He was very focused as we were walking down the aisle together, and all of his hard work paid off.
“I was so proud of him and I was genuinely relieved and happy that he was proud of himself also.”
