Jeff and Angela Hartung

Couple's Second Chance of Love After a Tragic Accident

We heard a different kind of love stories but what makes them the same is that they inspire and gives us hope. It makes us believe that as long as there's love in the world, we can survive and surpass any hardships in life. 

Meet Jeff and Angela Hartung. 

This couple is in that getting-to know stage of their relationship. But unlike most couples going through this discovery period, they're already married - and have been together for the past 17 years.

Renewal of vows after Angela woke up from coma.

Angela got hit by a car nearly five years ago while crossing an intersection in New York City. Unfortunately, she suffered a traumatic brain injury and was in a coma for about a month. When she woke up, she was trapped in the past.

"I do not remember anything at all. I asked for my two children, I thought they were like 2 and 8 years old. They were 17 and 23 years old," she said.  

Angela had no memory of at least the last fifteen years of her life. She thought she was still married to her first husband, who'd died long ago, and had no recollection whatsoever, of her second wedding to Jeff, or anything about Jeff.

In Angela's mind, she was still married to her ex-husband and her children weren't even teenagers!

It was hard for Jeff to start all over. How can he win his wife-turned-stranger?

But he didn't give up. Jeff started by lining virtually every inch of their home with pictures, reminders of happier days. Then he began courting his wife again, and most importantly, he never left her side. It worked, which is called for a celebration - one Angela would never forget.

Earlier this month, surrounded by friends and family in New York's Central Park, Jeff and Angela started the next chapter of their emotional love story, by retelling their vows.

Jeff Hartung and Angela Sartin-Hartung

Of course, those painful years would have broken a lot of marriages. But Jeff believes the accident did quite the opposite for them.

He felt like it's a blessing that he had to prove himself all over again.

The most important thing is, Jeff got his wife back and he'll never stop loving Angela every day.

Happy couple

They are both lucky to have each other. Not all people get to know and spend their lifetime with their soulmate.

That's the beauty of having a second chance at finding your one, true love.

“True love is taking the risk that it won't be a happily-ever-after. True love is joining hands with the man who loves you for who you are, and saying, "I'm not afraid to believe in you.”

- Cara Lockwood