Young widow, 22, rejoices over 'miracle' baby she believes was conceived after her husband's shocking death

A young Catholic woman who lost her husband in a tragic accident during their honeymoon has now given birth to a “miracle baby.”

Nate Kuhlman, 23, and Mari Kuhlman, 22, were married on October 28, 2023 in a beautiful ceremony in Florida.

But Nate died while waterskiing on the first day of their honeymoon in St. Lucia in the Caribbean as she waited for him on the beach, the Tampa Bay Times reports. reported.

The couple had only spent three nights together and deliberately chose their wedding day so that the bride could avoid becoming pregnant.

And even though the period app Flo told her she had ovulated days before the wedding, Mari was stunned when she discovered she was pregnant on Thanksgiving.

Nate and Mari met in October 2021 at Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio. Nate was studying to become a physician's assistant, while Mari planned to become either a lawyer or a detective.

After a year of Chick-fil-A picnics, games of pickleball and croquet, listening to Nate play “Godspell” songs on his ukulele, and watching The Mandalorian and Avatar, the couple got engaged.

They agreed to consummate their relationship after the wedding and to refrain from using contraception from that point onwards in accordance with Catholic tradition, the Tampa Bay Times reported.

The young couple prayed together every morning, attended Mass every evening, and also attended Catholic counseling sessions to make sure they were on the right path.

They held their wedding ceremony at the Church of St. Mary Our Lady of Grace in St. Petersburg with 140 Catholic guests – half of them under 30 years old.

According to Father Joe, everyone present prayed throughout the wedding and the ceremony was “one of the most spiritual he has ever conducted.”

“So many very fervent, passionate young people, united in their faith,” he told the Tampa Bay Times.

After a year of Chick-fil-A picnics, pickleball and croquet matches, and Nate singing “Godspell” songs on his ukulele, the couple got engaged

Nate was studying to become a physician's assistant, while Mari planned to become either a lawyer or a detective when the couple met

The newlyweds spent their wedding night in their new apartment in Carrollwood and drove to Miami the next evening.

They then went on their honeymoon to the Caribbean island of St. Lucia.

On the first morning, Nate – who had been swimming since he was two and was on the show team in high school – decided to go water skiing.

But when Mari saw the boat returning to shore, her husband was lying face down on the deck and was being resuscitated.

By the time paramedics arrived, Nate had been unconscious for half an hour and was eventually pronounced dead three days after their wedding.

The young couple prayed together every morning and attended Mass every evening. They also attended Catholic counseling sessions.

To ensure they did not become pregnant, the two decided to get married on October 28th.

Nate's Catholic parents, Heather and Gordon, arrived in St. Lucia to pray over their son's body in the hospital with the now widowed teenager and her parents while two police officers stood outside.

Nate's Catholic parents, Heather and Gordon, traveled to St. Lucia to pray with their now widowed daughter and her parents over their son's body in the hospital while two police officers stood outside.

After 15 minutes of praying and hoping he would come back, Nate's body was rolled away for an autopsy.

“I don't think I could handle being mad at God. My whole relationship with Nate was about us getting each other to heaven. Now he was there. I was confused. Are you kidding me, Nate? He was always so ambitious. You really had to get to heaven before me?” Mari said.

The desperate mother later said that her priest, Monsignor Joseph Pellegrino, had assured her: “If God wants to bring Nathaniel back to life, he will.”

At least 1,000 people attended the funeral, including 15 priests. The funeral was streamed online.

Weeks later, Mari noticed that her period had stopped, but she put it down to grief because she hadn't eaten or slept.

Finally, on Thanksgiving, she took a test to “get that thought out of her head,” but instead she burst into tears when she realized she was actually pregnant.

Weeks later, on Thanksgiving, Mari discovered she was pregnant after taking a test to “get that thought out of her head.”

When Heather and Gordon heard the miraculous news, they were overjoyed and began preparing for the arrival of their grandchild.

“It has to be a miracle,” she told her in-laws. “God himself would have had to throw out an egg for that to happen.”

When Heather and Gordon heard the miraculous news, they were overjoyed and began preparing for the arrival of their grandchild.

Announcing her pregnancy on Instagram, she wrote, “The joys of pregnancy are so hard to put into words, so I don't have much to say other than God truly amazes me and takes my breath away with the way He intentionally created us, especially women! To be a part of the creation of a human being through an act of love is truly a beautiful privilege for which I am eternally grateful to the Lord.”

On July 18, Mari Raphael gave birth to Patrick Kuhlman and posted pictures of the baby on Instagram.

On July 18, Mari Raphael gave birth to Patrick Kuhlman and posted pictures on Instagram

“Raphael Patrick, my heart is exploding with joy because you are here! No words can express how much I love you already. Your dad and I always told each other how our love for each other GROWS every day.

“And it is the same with you, my heart falls more and more in love with you by the minute! Raphael, welcome to this side of the veil, I can't wait for our life together as we strive to be one with the Father in Heaven and to be reunited with your father, Nathaniel!” she told the world.

The young mother also revealed that she had hung a framed picture of Jesus above the baby's crib as well as the wedding photo so that the baby would wake up every day and see his father.