A vacation before the vacation for a Calgary couple to relax before Christmas chaos ends in tragedy – triggering a bureaucratic nightmare.
“They booked business class, they booked diving trips, they booked all kinds of really cool things to do together to reconnect,” Meagan Grabst says of her parents’ dream vacation.
But the unthinkable happened on Friday, December 20, 2024. While scuba diving, his stepfather Glenn Boyd had trouble breathing and drowned before he could return to the surface.
Three weeks later, Grabst’s mother, Christine Boyd, is still there. Mexico fighting to recover her husband’s ashes and death certificate.
“She’s practically stuck there now,” says Grabst.
“We’re just waiting for all these processes to be completed and trying to get her home.”
Glenn was cremated at a Mexican funeral home and there is a $6,500 fee to have his ashes and death certificate made public.
The money has been transferred to the home, but the bank warns that clearing the funds could take 10 working days, leaving Christine in the country for a few more weeks.
“She doesn’t want to leave without him,” says Grabst.
“She said, ‘I can’t do this, I’m going to sleep on the beach before I leave without him.'”
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The longer Christine stays in Mexico, the more the fees add up. On top of the funeral home bill, there are rising accommodation costs and last-minute flights once Christine collects the ashes, leaving the family relying on the generosity of others.
Grabst managed to raise $16,000 in four days as part of a GoFundMe to help cover costs and some of that money is already on its way south.
“Thank God we raised this money, we couldn’t have done it any other way,” says Grabst. “I really wish Glenn could have seen the way people stood up and supported him and helped him, because he would never ask anyone for anything, he always gave.”
A GoFundMe set up to provide support after the sudden death of a Calgary man in Mexico.
GoFundMe
Grabst and his mother contacted Expedia, where the trip was booked, and WestJet, the carrier, about a flight change and initially received the response that no assistance could be offered until a death certificate was issued. was not provided.
As the story became more public, both companies stepped up to help.
A statement from Expedia said: “Our deepest sympathies go out to the Boyd family during this time. During our investigation, we contacted WestJet, and their policy states that bereavement fares are only available directly from the airline. In most cases, we follow our partner’s policies regarding these matters. However, given the situation and experience, we will refund Ms. Boyd’s return ticket to assist her during this time.
“We are looking to arrange this directly with her. If we can provide further assistance to the Boyd family, we ask that they contact our customer service team.“
WestJet, for its part, is “in the process of contacting Ms. Boyd to help arrange a return flight to Calgary at no cost when she is ready to return.” Additionally, when the guest receives the death certificate from Mexican authorities, they will be able to request an exceptional circumstances refund for the original flights.
Both companies offered their condolences to the family during this difficult time.
Travel experts say comprehensive insurance helps cover many of the unexpected costs in such situations, while contacting the embassy can help navigate the process in a foreign country.
For Grabst and her family, it was a tragic learning experience, but she and her mother are grateful to everyone who stepped up to help them along the way.
“It’s the people on the ground who care, through the GoFundMe in Calgary and even people offering my mother a place to stay in Mexico.
“These are the people who helped us. »
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