— Derek McConnell, 23, has battled back from losing his legs, fracturing his skull and right arm, and sustaining severe blast wounds after getting hit by two improvised explosive devices while on patrol in Kandahar, Afghanistan, in July 2011.

But the U.S. army specialist said he still feels weak when beside his fiancée, Krystina Dressler, 21, who left college when he got hurt and helped nurse him back to health. McConnell hopes he could start repaying her a little bit if he gets enough votes to win a contest that would give the couple a "dream wedding" worth $80,000.

"How do you even begin paying back a girl who saved your life?" the Parsippany native said. "If we won this wedding contest — I can't think of anyone who deserves it more. I could never repay her."

As of 5:30 p.m. Thursday, the pair had amassed 1,925 votes in

Their nearest competitor was 1,306 votes behind. Ten couples from across the state had reached the final round of the contest.

Final-round voting started Monday. It ends 11:59 p.m. Dec. 16.

The contest, presented by the Somerset-based Venus Jewelers, NJ 101.5 and The Park Savoy/Nanina's In The Park., offers the winner a bounty.

The engagement ring will be donated by Venus Jewelers and Lieberfarb wedding ring Co.; a reception for up to 125 guests will be courtesy of Nanina’s in the Park in Belleville or the Park Savoy in Florham Park; cinematography will be by Nino Gallego Studios, of Eatontown, ($7,000); photos will be by Erin H. Photography, of Asbury Park, ($4,200); entertainment is by Vali Entertainment, of Norwood, ($20,000); flowers by Flower Station, of Somerset, ($5,000); a butter cream wedding cake by Chamber’s Walk Café and Catering of Lawrenceville ($1,500); a bridal gown valued at $2,200 from L’Fay Bridal, of Chatham; and his and hers watches courtesy of Movado.

McConnell's mother, Siobhan, said winning the contest "would be a blessing."

"These two have been through so much hell over the last year and a half," she said. "This would be a blessing. This would be a wonderful gift for them to be able to celebrate their wedding in style."

Dresseler, of Fairfield, said the pair met in high school. She remembered seeing him in a yearbook and thinking he was cute. And then, two years later, the two bumped into each other and started talking.

They've been together six years. McConnell proposed when someone heard his story and sent them a small engagement ring in October 2011.

"It would mean pretty much everything" to win, she said. "We've been talking about this since before he was injured. And then that put everything on hold. With everything we've been through for the past 16 and 17 months — this would make everything that much better."

McConnell expects to be promoted to sergeant in January, but plans to retire in four or five months. He said he's still getting used to his prosthetic legs, but he's walking better each day.

He couldn't have gotten this far, he says, without Dressler, who held his hand and cleaned up after him in the hospital. She even fed him when he couldn't use his hands.

McConnell said sometimes he feels bad for bringing stress to her life.

"I thought I was a tough guy," he said. "I did martial arts and kickboxing. I fought in the war. But this 105-pound girl — and that's soaking wet — completely blew me away. She's the definition of strength.

"She was working and going to school. She put her whole life on hold. Everything started to revolve around me. I hated that, and I can't wait until a day where I can make it all about her."

In second place with 619 votes as of 5:30 p.m., Scott Hakim and and Emma Grace hope to win. Hakim, a Marines corporal, was injured by an IED blast, enduring shrapnel wounds and getting knocked unconscious in March 2010. He now suffers from traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder.

On the contest's website, Hakim said he and Grace "are two hard working people who are in love. Emma, has been by my side through everything and has never once complained. She is the love of my life and she deserves the greatest wedding ever."

In third place with 345 votes as of 5:30 p.m., Marcella Botero and her boyfriend, Adrian, an Army sergeant, met at the Colorado Cafe in Watchung and "it was love at first sight," Botero wrote on the website.

Recenlty, Botero and Adrian, whose last name wasn't mentioned on the website, expect to be legally married by Christmas. The pair hope to become the first in the state to get married over the phone since Gov. Chris Christie legalized the process in January.

On the contest's website, Botero wrote that the pair were hoping to win because they're expecting to add to their family soon. "We're saving every penny for our baby on the way!" she wrote.

Operation Jersey Cares, a nonprofit that sends care packages to the military overseas, is the contest's charitable partner.

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