Jeanna Giese remembers her experiences with rabies on her wedding day

On September 12th, 2004, I was bitten by a rabid bat at a church service in my home town of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. After battling for my life, I became the first person in the world to survive symptomatic rabies without receiving a vaccination. On September 20th, 2014, I got married in that same town, and didn’t forget what had happened 10 years earlier.

The wedding date was strategically picked to be between the date I was bitten and World Rabies Day. I made sure the dress I wore didn’t hide the tattoo on my left shoulder (a flying bat in a cross with the words ‘Miracles Happen’ and ‘September 12, 2004’ surrounding the image). Pictures after the ceremony included the church where I was bitten and Dr. Rodney Willoughby, who created the Milwaukee Protocol to save my life, was in attendance.

My husband, Scot Frassetto, and I held two fundraising events during our wedding reception for the Global Alliance for Rabies Control. First, I had created a game in which guests would donate $1 (or more) to pick a card. If the card that was picked was greater than a 6, my husbands and I would kiss; less than a 6 simply resulted in a donation. Second was the traditional “Dollar Dance,” where guests paid $1 (or more) to dance with the bride or groom. While most couples use the money for their honeymoon, we added this to our “kissing donation.”

My husband and I went on a honeymoon after the wedding. While on our trip, we stopped in Ann Arbor, Michigan, to participate in the Great Lakes Bat Festival. I presented my story of survival and shared information about rabies awareness and the Alliance’s mission. I also raised more money by asking for donations in exchange for World Rabies Day buttons. My husband and I raised over $400 for GARC during our wedding.

Jeanna Giese is an ambassador for the Global Alliance for Rabies Control, and continues to use her experiences to raise awareness about the threat of rabies