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