"He was emotional and just in awe," bride Alexis Cowan tells PEOPLE of her grandfather's reaction to her surprise
Courtesy of Alexis Cowan
NEED TO KNOW
- Alexis Cowan married Jeremy Foster on Valentine’s Day in McKinney, Texas
- The bride’s grandfather, Jim Mahan, sadly died from cancer six days before the wedding
- Before Mahan’s death, Cowan surprised him by visiting him at the hospital while wearing her mother’s wedding dress
A bride is choosing love amid grief.
When Alexis Cowan was planning her Valentine's Day wedding in McKinney, Texas, the 25-year-old bride decided that her beloved grandfather, Jim Mahan, 75, would have the honor of giving her away after her father and stepfather walked her down the aisle. Her plans fell apart just a few days before the ceremony when Mahan was diagnosed with acute leukemia, a rapidly progressing cancer of the blood and bone marrow.
"It broke my heart," Cowan tells PEOPLE. "He was given a week to live."
Understanding that their "time was limited," Cowan moved quickly to ensure that Mahan was still somehow a part of her wedding, even if it wasn't what they originally envisioned. He had been hospitalized at Medical City Dallas Hospital, and on Feb. 3 she surprised him by visiting him in her mother's wedding dress from her 1999 nuptials.
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"He was so happy to see me in my mom's dress," Cowan remembers. "He was emotional and just in awe."
Cowan recently shared a compilation of clips from the special surprise on Instagram, writing in part, "I will cherish this day, and every moment we have left, more than anything." In the video, Cowan has a private tearful moment in bathroom before entering her grandfather's hospital room. Mahan recognized the wedding gown "immediately," then hugged Cowan from his hospital bed while sweetly patting her back.
"Thank you Jesus for this beautiful memory 🤍 I share this because it is part of life. Our Lord is so good," Cowan continued in her caption. "The depth of our love is reflected in the depth of our loss."
Five days later on Feb. 8, Mahan died.
Cowan married Jeremy Foster, 23, whom Mahan "loved so incredibly much," less than a week later on Feb. 14.
Courtesy of Alexis Cowan
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Cowan tells PEOPLE that she and her late grandfather have always had a close relationship, one she'll hold close to her heart forever.
"I was his shadow," she says. "A pageant queen whose favorite toy growing up was a wrench or some sort of tool. We share love for classic cars (he was a collector) and he could fix just about anything with his own hands."
She continues, "He is the grandfather every kid dreams of having. He was the one who ultimately taught me everything I know. I vividly remember him teaching me how to ride a bike, tying my shoes, and even changing a tire for the first time. His wisdom carries me and I hear him every day. I have an amazing dad and step dad, but my papa played a huge role in who I am today."
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