Bride Dies During Wedding

During a real-life version of “My Big Fat Greek Wedding,” the bride collapsed and died in her husband's arms during a song called “Love Me.” The 36-year-old, who had planned her wedding around the popular film, died from heart disease.

Kim Sjostrom taught first grade and had included her students in the planning of her movie-like wedding. Coworkers provided the gown, flowers, and decorations. One of the teachers performed the ceremony. Sjostrom even had the movie playing as she primped and prepared for the big day on January 19. The bride carried the colors of the Greek flag, blue and white, in her flower bouquet. She married a 43-year-old carpenter and Navy veteran, who thought she’d collapsed due to her diabetes. Guests, paramedics, and doctors, however, were unable to revive Sjostrom. She’d had previous heart episodes in her twenties and was a literal poster-child for juvenile diabetes. She appeared in ads on the New York subways. Her mourning husband has only a list that Sjostrom gave him of the 101 reasons why she loved him. Number one said because he made her smile. However, number 98 is especially difficult to read now. It says, “You’re the one I want to grow old with.”