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by Stephanie Struyck Elgin
It was as if it was a scene, right out of a movie. Maybe not your typical Cinderella story, but nevertheless a proposal that will bring tears to your eyes, and warmth to your heart.
Meet Corrine and Matt.
Corrine and Matt met when they were 14 years old, both freshmen in high school. “We met at Placerita Baptist. It was summer, and our youth pastor introduced us,” states Corrinne. Matt, from Canyon High, and Corrine from Saugus High, well let’s just say the rivalry didn’t get in the way of their budding friendship. “From the surly look on her face, I was not immediately drawn in,” states Matt. “Although, I was excited to meet her as disinterested as she seemed.”
Was it love at first sight? “I didn’t really like him at first, but I gave him a chance and we became best friends. I was head over heels for him, and I knew there was no going back,” states Corrine.
Throughout high school, Matt and Corrine remained best friends. “I knew from that point on, she would be my best friend forever. I mean, who wouldn’t want to marry their best friend,” states Matt. Corrine agrees, “We could talk for hours, give each other advice and fight, then be fine. Why wouldn’t you want to marry someone who would never leave your side?”
Their senior year of high school, the two made it official and began dating. Not wanting to follow the norm, Matt decided to wait until the day after Valentine’s Day to ask Corrine to be his girl. On February 15, he set up a nice dinner at Stonefire Grill where he worked. He brought her roses and dined while the restaurant was closed. “We were the only ones left in the restaurant with the cooks,” states Corrine, “it was super sweet and special.”
Just a few years later, on Thursday, May 19, 2011 to be exact, Corrine had a surgery that saved and forever changed her life. Corinne has a condition called hydrocephalus, which is where the brain fluid doesn’t drain properly, and needed to be re-routed, forcing an emergency brain surgery. Because Matt was going to college in San Diego, he often made the drive back to Santa Clarita to see Corrine. On the day of surgery, Matt was told that there was a mass in Corrine’s brain that could or could not be cancerous. “He was given the option to walk away from this relationship,” states Corrine, “and no one, including myself would think poorly of him.” Instead, Matt, who had ordered an engagement ring a month prior to the surgery, received a phone call that the ring was ready for pickup. On Saturday, May 21, Matt was tired of waiting. They had been dating for four years, and best friends for eight.
There he was, on the hospital bed with Corrine. She just had brain surgery, and with her half-shaven head, he looked at her with soft eyes. “He told me I was his best friend and then he asked me to marry him.”
Despite the uneasiness she felt in her appearance with being bald, Matt told her she was beautiful, and that he was still “taken” by her beauty.
“I was nervous, anxious, and confident. We had talked about being engaged,” states Matt, “and I knew she would say yes, but given the circumstances, you never know what her emotions were, or how she was feeling….I just wanted to be genuine and I wanted her to know that whatever circumstances came our way, she would be the most important person in my life.”
While Corrine doesn’t remember too much of the proposal because of her recovery from the traumatic brain surgery, she was still so very excited. “I remember being in denial that the ring was on my finger, so I would look at it and just stare at it,” states Corrine. “He turned a really sucky situation into one of the most memorable days of my life….That, I do remember.”
The big day is set for July 14, 2012. Matt will be finishing his bachelor’s degree program and right now the doctors’ appointments have yet to stop for Corrine. “Our wedding is going to be a huge break for us. A time worth celebrating. A time where we can say, ‘We did it! We made it!’ Yay to the 14th!”
Many people have stepped up to help donate their time and services, providing everything from the location, food, dress and more. Gardens of Paradise have graciously provided the venue and ceremony site, and companies such as R&R Creative Photography, AV Party Rentals, Jill’s Cake Creations, Tuxedo Revue, Matrimony Pictures (videographer), Charmaine’s Florist and Claire’s Flowers, Newhall Valencia Travel, Tako Video, Joyful Noise, Picture this Picture That Wedding and Invitation Preservation, J&M Entertainment, Cruz’s Bridal, Memorable Occasions and Romantic Journey have all donated services to making Corrine and Matt’s day perfect. “Matt and I understand that times are tough, and for them to jump in and do this for us is overwhelming…With the medical bills ushering in, I felt defeated and they rescued us in a huge way. We can’t say thank you enough. They are giving us a dream and making that dream a reality.”
“You look for someone who has unconditional love for you and has a willing heart. Matt isn’t my prince charming, he is my Matthew Raymond Lussier, my best friend and companion for life.” |
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