GAZELLE MAGAZINE October Health Issue. | Page 38

FAMILY & HOME Written in the Stars A NEWLYWED COUPLE’S CHANCE OF A LIFETIME T o say that newlyweds Sydney and Andy Streiff, who both turned 24 last month, have the rest of their lives ahead of them would be an understatement. Their May 2017 wedding was not only a celebration of their marriage, but also a reflection of their extraordinary story. “What were the chances?” the father of the bride, Dr. Tim Philpott, repeatedly asked during his toast to the couple. “I calculated the chances of (a girl dating a boy), both born in the same month to parents who are business partners - and neighbors. The two keep dating during college - while the guy beats cancer - and then they get married.” 36 GAZELLE STL By Dr. Philpott’s estimation, the chances were zero. “I’ve watched the impossible take shape. We can now all believe in the impossible!” he proclaimed to the friends and loved ones who had gathered for the wedding. Serendipity doesn’t even begin to describe how the couple’s lives intertwined - or exactly when fate intervened. As children, they grew up in the same neighborhood in Glendale, Missouri, and their families belonged to the same golf club. There’s even an old photograph of Sydney with her Algonquin swim team, which, upon closer inspection of the upper left-hand corner, shows a dark-haired boy who turned out to be Andy. B y T r i s h M u y c o - To b i n