Zachary Zarembinski jogged onto the sideline at his high school football game and abruptly collapsed. Doctors at a Minnesota hospital diagnosed him with a traumatic brain injury and put him into a coma to help his recovery, but they were concerned he might not wake up.
But nine days later, Zarembinski did wake up — about the same time a teenage girl was taken to the same hospital with a similar injury. Isabelle Richard, who had recently gotten her driver’s license, had crashed her Jeep into a tree and also was put into a medically induced coma to help her brain recover.
It was the beginning of a recovery that would take years for the teens — and of their unlikely love story.
In the days after Richard’s crash in 2018, her mother heard about Zarembinski’s fast progress and visited him in the hospital in search of hope for her daughter. Their families stayed in touch.
When Richard awoke from her coma a few months later in early 2019, Zarembinski visited her. Richard could barely talk due to her injury and would later not remember meeting Zarembinski that day. Zarembinski said he remembered Richard’s big smile, but he was mostly focused on recovering and trying to graduate from high school.
The two didn’t speak for years as they each dedicated themselves to rehab — Zarembinski recovering from seizures he suffered because of his injury and Richard relearning to talk and walk.
It wasn’t until 2024 when Zarembinski saw a Facebook post about Richard’s recovery from her mother that they got back in touch.
“Thank you for sharing her beautiful progress,” Zarembinski commented on the post. “ … We should connect sometime soon!”
Their families had dinner together. He remembers being struck again by her smile and said he fought through nerves to ask for her phone number.
She gave it to him but did not have romance in mind.
“I just expected us to be friends,” Richard said.
But they went on a first date in October 2024 and ended up walking around a lake. Richard did her impression of a British accent, which Zarembinski found hilarious. He said that afternoon was when he knew she was the one.
Later, he woke up in the middle of the night after a seizure and wrote in his journal: “My girl is Isabelle.”
As they spent time together, they realized they complemented each other. Zarembinski was a good planner and cook; Richard wasn’t. Richard was motivated to exercise and eat healthy; Zarembinski wasn’t. They fell in love after a few dates.
“I know the pain she went through,” Zarembinski said. “And I say to her all the time, ‘I’ve dealt with that, sweetie. I understand that.’”
In January 2025, Zarembinski asked Richard to pick her favorite ring from a jewelry store. She chose a rose gold diamond ring, which Zarembinski secretly bought.
They began sharing their stories on a podcast they created called “Hope in Healing” in the summer of 2025. In November, Zarembinski and Richard planned to record an episode in the hospital where they were both treated, Regions Hospital in St. Paul.
After discussing their injuries for a few minutes, Zarembinski pointed out the exact spot where he met Richard’s mom in the days after he woke up from his coma. He then grabbed the diamond ring from his pocket, knelt and asked: “Will you marry me?” Richard covered her mouth with her hands and said yes.
Hospital staff revealed a heart-shaped display that said in the center: “Will you marry me?”
“Their story is like a fairy tale,” said Amanda Solomon, a nurse who treated Zarembinski.
While Zarembinski and Richard continue to experience memory loss, their health has improved in the past year. Zarembinski, a manager at a Verizon store, hasn’t had a seizure since February 2025. Richard is a cashier at the same grocery store where she was headed before her car accident as a 16-year-old.
In September, Zarembinski, 25, and Richard, 23, plan to marry in Red Wing, Minnesota, alongside family members who helped them meet and the medical professionals who helped them recover.
Richard said sometimes it’s still hard to believe how she met her fiancé, adding that perhaps their remarkable love story will feel less extraordinary after their wedding. Zarembinski disagreed.
“The rest of our life,” he said, “will feel surreal.”