After heartbreak this past fall, a Comox Valley couple is hoping to win a dream wedding in Mexico.
Richard Jancowski, 37, and Coral Taylor, 29, entered a contest to win a $20,000 wedding in Mexico and made it to the top 10 finalists.
The couple that receives the most votes from the public will win a seven-night wedding trip to Riviera Maya for themselves and 10 guests via Transat Holidays.
But their dream to marry in Mexico comes after heartbreak brought the couple closer together — when their newborn baby died in early November.
"The fact that we were just there for each other and we were completely on the same page with everything," says Taylor of how the loss of their baby strengthened their relationship. "We were emotionally there for each other. A lot of the times you hear of tragedies kind of splitting couples up but for us it was completely opposite."
Back in May, the couple had got engaged, and two weeks later found out they were pregnant. However, there were complications with the pregnancy and Taylor was airlifted to Vancouver to deliver the baby 14 weeks early.
Logan James was born Oct. 30 but he weighed just two pounds, and after further complications he passed away when he was only four days old.
Jancowski notes he never understood how important You Are Not Alone (YANA) is to Comox Valley families who need to travel for their children's medical care until this experience.
"We kind of got rushed over from Comox over to Vancouver and before we left a nurse, I think, gave me an envelope and said this is from YANA," recalls Jancowski, adding he didn't get a chance to open it until the next morning. "I opened the letter and there was $100 in there and the letter said, 'Whatever you guys need, give us a call right away so we can help you guys out.'"
He notes YANA quickly set them up with keys to an apartment, a parkade pass and $1,000 for expenses, adding, "YANA's amazing."
Jancowski and Taylor say they hemmed and hawed before entering the contest because their story is so fresh, but in the end they decided to just go for it, and they were surprised when they were told they made it to the top 10 finalists.
If they win, the trip will be a way to thank their families for their support throughout the couple's grief.
"We'd be able to bring them along with us so to be able to give our family a trip to Mexico to celebrate our wedding with us, that'd be the big thing," says Taylor. "They were there for us through thick and thin, through everything."
To vote for Richard and Coral, visit www.globalnews.ca/contests/dreamwedding. Voting is open until Jan. 27.
writer@comoxvalleyrecord.com