The Aisle of Dreams : Paralyzed Bride Marries Doctor Whose Studies Helped Her Walk

Out at the edge of the Pacific, on a red-paved patio stretching below the swank Ritz-Carlton Hotel, the groom smiled nervously. His bride looked radiant, her hair encircled with flowers, wedding dress trailing behind as she stepped slowly down the aisle, her father at her side.

In most ways, the Saturday fete was like any other wedding. Except one.

The bride is paralyzed from the chest down. She doesn’t have the use of her legs. But she was able to stride delicately across the bricks because of the ingenuity of the man she was marrying.

No, this is no ordinary couple.

Janni Smith hasn’t had the use of her legs since 1980, when she was gunned down by a paid assassin seven months after she walked out on her ex-boyfriend. Jerrold Petrofsky is the Irvine-based medical researcher she sought out for help, the man who was conducting pioneering tests to allow the disabled to walk again.

Smith first became a subject in the research project. Later, she and Petrofsky became business partners. On Saturday, they became husband and wife.

Gripping a clear plexiglass walker decorated with flowers, Smith hit buttons to fire off the computer-controlled device that sends an electrical current snapping through her legs, one at a time, causing them to swing forward. Causing her to walk.

Slowly, she moved forward to strains of a string quartet playing “Here Comes the Bride.” Her father, Wes, stepped slowly along, a hand occasionally touching her elbow. A bouquet of flowers was strapped to the front of the walker, a veil covered her face.

But it couldn’t conceal a look of determination.

She had been an unabashed California golden girl, a beautiful, strong-willed blonde who split time between modeling, marathon training and premed studies.

At age 23, she met Richard Minns on a Colorado ski slope. He was nearly a quarter century her elder, but the charismatic, youthful-looking health club tycoon persuaded her to quit school and move to Houston.

Their love eventually evolved into obsession. When she decided to flee the relationship, Minns had her tailed and harassed her family, Smith said. A few months later, she was shot four times in the back.

The case was recounted the book “Sleeping With the Devil,” published this year.

Soon after the crime, police arrested and convicted five men in Houston. But no charges were ever brought against Minns, who fled the country. Smith later brought a civil suit against him and ultimately got an award of $60 million. Minns, who is still presumed to be living overseas, has not paid a cent.

Bound to a wheelchair, Smith found out about Petrofsky’s research. She contacted the doctor and asked to participate.

Through the years, the pair developed a grudging respect for one another. Smith became an associate on the research project, then worked her way up to a position where Petrofsky took her on as partner.

The walking system was developed from an apparatus that needed a roomful of equipment to function, and evolved into a tiny, portable unit the size of a desktop calculator.

Even though they worked long hours together, Smith and Petrofsky didn’t proclaim their love for one another until about a year or two ago, they said. Marriage seemed a natural outgrowth.

Smith uses the latest model of the walking system, a device that is being considered for approval by the U. S. Food and Drug Administration.

The system has been subject to much attention. “60 Minutes” and “Good Morning America” have done lengthy segments on the research. For Saturday’s ceremony, half a dozen photographers were on hand to record the event.

Nonetheless, in the hours before the wedding, several bugs still had to be worked out before Smith could stride down the aisle. The couple and various engineers spent long days over the past week tweaking the device to get it working perfectly for the special occasion. Other things that normally need to be attended to for a wedding were shuffled into what time remained.

Although Petrofsky has focused nearly two decades of study on the project, the system still has its limitations. It takes a bit of time to put on the special braces and other equipment, and even then the system can be taxing, Smith said. What it does give one, however, is an option, a chance to stand on their feet again, she said, a renewed feeling of joy at being able to look someone in the eye.