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Syrian refugee saves the day for a Canadian bride

(Facebook/Lindsay Coulter Photography)
(Facebook/Lindsay Coulter Photography)

The big day has finally arrived. The weather is perfect, you woke up looking fresh and ready to say “I do” and everything seems to be coming together as planned. And then you go to put on your dress and… snap, the zipper breaks.

That was the unfortunate way Guelph, Ont. bride Jo Du started her wedding day on Sept. 25.

“Jo’s bridesmaids were helping her in to her gown when the zipper broke,” shared Du’s photographer Lindsay Coulter in a Facebook post. “The girls were all surprisingly calm but weren’t having much luck fixing the zipper.”

Coulter remembered seeing the neighbours garage door being open when they pulled in and suggested someone pop over to see if he had some pliers or something to help pull up the zipper. Turns out he had something even better.

“One of the bridesmaids quickly went over and spoke with their neighbour. She came back with a handful of tools and some interesting information: the next door neighbour was hosting a family of Syrian refugees and the father was a master tailor and would be happy to help if we weren’t successful.”

“After a few minutes of further attempts there was a knock on the door and the neighbour along with the tailor & his son arrived to help, sewing kit in tow.”

Coulter was so touched by the gesture that she continued to snap pictures while Ibrahim Halil Dudu worked away at the zipper.

“The neighbour David told me they had just moved to Canada four days ago. They didn’t speak a word of English, and had been communicating by using Google Translate.”

(Facebook/Lindsay Coulter Photography)
(Facebook/Lindsay Coulter Photography)

“Every weekend I take photos of people on the happiest days of their lives, and today one man who has seen some of the worst things our world has to offer came to the rescue. I am so proud to live in Canada, a country who has opened our doors to refugees countless times. I’m in awe of the families who have welcomed these strangers in to their homes and lives, and I’m inspired by the resilience of the Syrian people.”

“We are truly blessed.”

In an interview with CTV News, Dudu said (through a translator) that he was happy to help.

“I was so excited and so happy [to] help Canadian people like other people helped [me].”