The Irene Villa’s wedding with the coach David Serrato, held on September 21 at the Monastery of Santa María de La Vid (Burgos), was full of emotional moments. Even before the arrival of the bride at the altar. While she finished getting ready with her family, the journalist and adaptive ski athlete reflected on the importance of having your loved ones on such a special day.
For example, Irene confessed to us that his father, the former taxi driver Luis Alfonso Villahad suffered some health problems a few months ago. “He could not have been at the wedding, because he had very serious pancreatitis in December,” she told us with special emotion. “passed nine days in ICU and was hospitalized until February. How hard to get married without a father… That’s why I was so happy,” the protagonist added.
© Javier AlonsoIn those moments prior to the ceremony, Luis Alfonso was visibly excited. It was impossible not to remember that terrible day when ETA changed his family forever. We are referring to the terrorist attack perpetrated on October 17, 1991, in the Madrid neighborhood of Aluche, suffered by his daughter and his ex-wife, Maria Jesús, the former official of the General Directorate of the Police. In addition to suffering irreversible damage to her body, Irene, then 12 years old, remained a few days in a coma.
“If the doctor had listened to me, she wouldn’t be here,” Luis Alfonso Villa lamented, while he was unable to hold back his tears. At that moment, her daughter did not take long to explain those harsh words. “After the attack, I was in an induced coma and the doctors told them how I was doing. My father told them: ‘Leave her in eternal peacewhere he does not have to suffer everything that awaits him,’ the bride recalled.
© Javier Alonso—IRENE: And I understand… What was the life of a girl who played basketball, ice skating and wanted to be a model? Because I wanted to be a model, a dancer… And I also had a broken face, although today it is my trademark.
—LUIS ALFONSO What life was going to await Irene without a leg or a hand? It took me a while to forgive myself…
-YO: But you said that to free me from the pain and leave you with all the pain of losing a daughter… Because having your daughter murdered…
-THE: The other day, my grandson told me: “If the doctor ever listened to you, neither mom nor I would be here” –he wipes his tears again with his handkerchief–.
© Javier AlonsoDuring those six months of hospitalization and unimaginable suffering, luis Alfonso Villa did not separate from his daughter at any time. “We entered the Gómez Ulla in October and left in April. The entire time, I was in the hospital, so that my daughter could have the best possible condition,” the bride’s father recalled before embarking on the walk to the altar. “I sold the taxi, I sold everything and I stayed by his side,” he finished adding.
Fortunately, Irene’s destiny was very different from what her father thought. The then preteen was able to move forward and draw strength despite the setbacks of fate, proving to be an example of resilience. Hence, the journalist and adapted ski athlete has celebrated every moment of life to the fullestas he has demonstrated throughout his 45 years and as he did again in his emotional wedding with David Serrato last weekend.
