Weddings are necessarily emotional occasions. Not only do they symbolize a life-long commitment between two partners, but they also mean a lot to the families involved. For that reason, the father-daughter and mother-son dances are particularly special. That was especially true for one Middle Tennessee resident, Scooter Hightower, when he got married in October 2020. Hightower’s mother, who had ALS, a fatal neurodegenerative disease for which there is no cure, had one final wish. She wanted to attend her son’s Arrington wedding before she passed. And luckily, Hightower’s mother got her wish.

In an emotional video that has since touched millions of hearts around the world, we see Hightower as he picks his mother up out of her wheelchair and dances with her to the fitting song “Mother,” a song by local Tennessee artist Thomas Finchum.

The son, visibly emotional, holds her close while alone on the dance floor and surrounded by his wife-to-be and other wedding guests.

As Hightower embraces his mother and sways to the music, it’s hard not to tear up. And many of the wedding guests do begin to cry as Hightower fulfills his dying mother’s final wish.

The video, which was professionally filmed and edited by MNF Productions, has since gone viral with more than 2 million views and more than 1,000 supportive comments. The clip’s popularity has helped to raise awareness surrounding ALS while also warming viewers’ hearts.

Tragically, however, Hightower announced his mother’s death a week after his wedding in October 2020. Before her diagnosis, Hightower’s mother was a paramedic for three decades in Tennessee, where she’ll be remembered by her community.