Amanda Corby and Geoffrey McGlynn have gone through hell and back – but they’ve done it together.
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Ms Corby tragically lost her five-year-old daughter Indya in 2008, when she died suddenly from a cardiac arrest, with a genetic heart condition.
Ms Corby suffers from the same heart condition, as does the pair’s five-year-old daughter, Leilani.
On Sunday, the pair finally found their rainbow at the end of their long, tumultuous storm, winning a wedding at Wagga’s Wedding Expo.
Tears were understandably flowing as Ms Corby took to the stage and received the prize, after almost 10 years of struggling to plan their wedding.
“I was so overwhelmed – I have never won anything in my life, not even a raffle,” Ms Corby said.
“I always wanted Indya to be my flower girl but we just never got around to it and then she was gone.”
The heartbreaking loss was just the start of the families struggle as Ms Corby’s sister was diagnosed with Wolfram Syndrome in 2012.
With no cure in sight, her 38-year-old sister had to be placed in care at an aged care facility.
In 2013, Ms Corby’s mother was rushed to hospital with thyrotoxicosis, which she battled for more than 12 months.
As a registered nurse, Ms Corby spent majority of her time caring for her family members, with wedding plans falling to the back of her mind.
“We are pretty much a married couple already – we have a daughter and a house together but we just can’t seem to get the momentum together to plan the wedding,” Ms Corby said.
Plans for the wedding started to piece together in 2016, before the pair’s daughter Leilani, suffered a seizure and was diagnosed with viral encepthalitis.
“She was unconscious for 24 hours and no one could tell us what was wrong with her,” Ms Corby said.
“We were distraught. We could not lose another child.”
While Leilani has now made a full recovery, her genetic heart conditions remains a threat.
“We have made multiple trips to Sydney to see specialists to keep her alive – but there is no guarantee,” Ms Corby said.
Ms Corby hopes to be married on October 7 this year, to mark the 10 year anniversary of the day the pair first met at Wagga’s Brucedale Estate.