A bride who walked down the aisle alongside her World War Two veteran grandfather, who died just two days later, has revealed the touching words that he whispered to her as he gave her away.
Joanna Sema was brought to the altar on her wedding day by her 94-year-old grandad Bronislaw 'Grom' Karwowski. Tragically he died two days later, but he died with a smile on his face.
Joanna has now revealed that her grandfather told her how proud he was of her and added that he was glad that he had lived long enough to see her marry her husband.
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The 30-year-old bride said Grom had turned to her and told her: "I was looking forward to this moment and I am proud I have lived to see it."
Despite being frail and in ill health, she also added that seeing how popular the story had become and how far it had reached around the world, making him happy in his final days.
Since his death he has been hailed as a 'national hero' for his efforts alongside the liberators fighting to rid Poland of the Nazi occupants during the failed Warsaw Uprising.
Joanna said: "He promised he would walk me down the aisle and he kept his word.
"In the following days, just before his death, I promised him that I would not let him die at the hospital.
"I am a professional nurse and I was with him at home. I said goodbye to him and he said he was so proud that the news of him walking me down the aisle had been reported. He said to me, 'We're on Facebook!'"
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She continued: "I'm really surprised and happy that the story of my granddad was so widely heard. I'm pleased his memory will live on.
"I'm so happy that the memory of him will stay alive and everyone can see him the way I did, as an amazing person and a beloved grandfather."
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Despite his failing health, he performed his final mission with aplomb, despite knowing that he had little time left.
Joanna added: "We were feeding him a lot of vitamins.
"Four years ago, he was fitted with a pacemaker and he told me then that I needed to get married quickly because he had an expiration date."
When they reached the altar, there was not a dry eye in the house, and the groom kissed him on the cheeks in thanks for getting his wife-to-be safely there.
For his efforts in the service of his home country, Grom was awarded many medals, including the Knight's Cross of the Order of the Rebirth of Poland.
Despite his wartime heroics, he was a real hero at home too.
His loving granddaughter said: "I moved in with my grandparents when I was one and they took care of me.
"He was amazingly patient. He had 13 grandchildren and all of us would fight over who got to sleep next to him because he used to tell nice fairy tales and stories."
RIP Grom. What a LAD.
Featured Image Credit: CEN
