Love Is Forever
Posted by PATRICK EDABURN in At TMV.
Dec 20th, 2010

For most teenagers love means trips to the movies, stolen kisses behind the bleachers and the heartbreak of that first breakup.

For Sabrina Parker and Matt Scozzari it means a whole lot more .

The two began dating after Matt, in his own words, got up the nerve to ask her out. Over the next three months things seemed perfect to them, but Matt noticed that Sabrina seemed ill. She was tired easily, she sometimes had trouble speaking, she was losing weight. [img_r]http://media.kansas.com/smedia/2010/12/18/13/184Sabrina_Twilight.sff.slideshow_main.prod_affiliate.80.jpg[/img_r]

When he asked if she was ok she told him it was fine, the doctor was treating her.

What she did not tell him was that only a month after they started dating she had been diagnosed with ALS, better known as Lou Gehrigs disease and the prognosis was not good.

Finally after her surprise sweet 16 party two of her friends, both in tears, broke the news to Matt.

He was obviously devastated but when Sabrina asked him if he was going to leave her because of the diagnosis he responded I will never leave you, no matter what.

For both of them facing trials in life was not new.

Sabrinas grandmother and mother both died from ALS. Matt had been diagnosed with a mild learning disability, had endured teasing from schoolmates due to speech problems and had watched his grandmother die from cancer. But both overcame these problems.

As their romance progresses the terminal nature of ALS was always in the back of their minds. Over time Sabrina grew weaker but Matt was always there, acting as her supporter, her helper and when speech became difficult her interpeter.

When the Make A Wish foundation arranged a trip to Orlando for the family Matt joined them. When Sabrina was unable to ride an attraction Matt stayed by her side. Despite her illness they attended prom together and were elected king and queen.

The only real burden hanging over them was the fact that they would nto spend their lives together. Matt would always start talking about when we get married until his mom explained why that would be impossible.

But she had an alternative, a friendship ceremony which would allow them to experience a wedding like event and it would allow Matt to tell Sabrina it was ok to let go. As his mom explained patients often fight until they feel like loved ones will allow them to let go.

On November 20th, 2010 they and their families shared a ceremony that was in every sense of the word a true wedding.

Nine days later Matt got the call that he should come to the hospital as quickly as possible.

He spent the night holding *his wifes* hand until she died in her sleep the next morning.

If there is a better example of true love I have yet to see it.

And if there is a better example of two amazing teenagers

The Scozzaris could tell that their 15-year-old son was madly in love with this terminally ill girl. And it worried them.

Matt began starting sentences with, "When Sabrina and I get married ..." Sabrina had taken to calling herself Sabrina Kay Scozzari, even sometimes signing her notes that way.

Finally, Audrey Scozzari sat her son down and explained that marriage, though not impossible, was impractical. Then she suggested an alternative.

"You know, they have something called a friendship ceremony," she told Matt. "That could be your way of letting her experience what a wedding would be like."

Matt loved the idea. But he wanted to get Sabrina's grandparents' consent before asking her.

Zelma Parker thought it was a sweet idea, but her husband had mixed feelings about a formal ceremony with a minister. It was bad enough for a boy to lose a girlfriend, he thought. Still, he went along. They scheduled the event for Nov. 20.

And yet so many people say that teenagers are too young to know what love means.

What a beautiful story. Everyone should read this. Love isn't a feeling -- it's a choice. It's an action. It's what you do. This young man loved that young woman till death parted them. He probably knows more about what true love means than a lot of people twice his age.

Thank you for sharing this story. I am touched.

EDIT: Wow, I just read the original story in the Washington Post. I am utterly choked up.

I have thought about young love over the years and sometimes wonder if we are doing a huge wrong by wanting our children to wait years to fall in love. I had a friend, who at 16 stood by her boyfriend while he died of cancer. I sometimes dont think it is fair or realistic to expect young men and women to wait until their mid twenties to save themselves. This young man is proof that true love exists at 15 and 16. My mother who has been married for over 50 years was 16 when she was married.

These are the questions I wish to ask God when I meet him.

"ckwick" wrote:

Perhaps because "My girlfriend died" sounds less serious than "My wife is dead now." They didn't want their son a widower at 16. I would consider them married though.