Kristen Armstrong was only 24 when her life changed in a way she never imagined. Her husband, Brandon Smith, 23 at the time, was in a serious car wreck and had a catastrophic brain injury. The pair met in high school and dreamed of a family and a life together, but sometimes things don't work out as planned.
As a young wife, Kristen made the heartbreaking decision to divorce Brandon and become his legal guardian after the 2008 crash, rather than remain his wife. She vowed to care for her former husband for the rest of his life and takes that promise seriously. She married her current husband, James Armstrong, in 2015, and together they care for three children and Brandon. It is a beautiful story of true unconditional love that has inspired countless families.
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The couple were married just two years before the accident.
Kristen used social media to tell the couple's love story. They met in high school and married young. "We fell in love, and it was one for the books," she explained in a TikTok in March. Brandon's accident left him with a traumatic brain injury and Kristen with unimaginable heartbreak. She explained that after two years, she decided to move on.
"I longed for family, children, a partner," she said. "But I knew that I would always love Brandon, and wanted to honor my vows of caring and loving for him through sickness and in health."
They are all in this together.
Kristen recently spoke with Today about her unusual family, which isn't at all unusual for them. Together, she and her husband have embraced Brandon and made him a part of their life. Because of his brain injury, his perspective is unique.
"Brandon's short-term memory is very poor, so he's not anxious about tomorrow or regretful of yesterday," she told Today. "I've learned from him how to be more present. Even though he can't communicate well, he's always teaching us things. He makes life beautiful."
Kristen went viral with a TikTok of her second husband caring for the first.
In a video that got 7.3 million views, James helps Brandon to eat and drink at a restaurant. In the video voiceover, Kristen explained she never thought she would meet someone who would love her and Brandon. "James surpassed all my dreams I had of how a future partner could love Brandon. James has never expressed or shown any jealousy. He's never questioned my unwavering love for Brandon or given pause to the role B plays in our family. Instead, he's accepted Brandon with wide open arms," she said.
TikTokers loved the connection.
One person commented: "Girl. Some of us barely get a decent man. You got an exceptional partner. I'm so happy for you ."
"Your husband is 1 in a million," another person commented. "I don't know many men or women that would do that!"
"Hoping the algorithm brings me back for when Halmark makes this a movie ♡," one TikToker shared.
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Despite overwhelming support, Kristen isn't immune to disparaging comments.
She posted a TikTok in April, responding to criticism about sharing her story. A commenter wrote: "You let your husband rot in an institution except for the times you film him to show off your 'virtue' on tik tok. You deserve the worst."
Instead of clapping back in frustration or anger, Kristen said that she would only respond to comments with gentleness, kindness, and respect in an effort to educate. She explained that she wasn't sharing their story because she wanted pats on the back. Instead, she said, "representation matters," people need to learn love and empathy.
"Seeing someone like Brandon, learning about him, seeing our family and how our family works, hopefully, can help with that," she said.
