Matt Siegel used to have perfect vision, but for the past six years, he has continually lost sight in his right eye. Today, he cannot see anything out of his right eye. This unusual ailment of the 2004 UW-Madison graduate is caused by brain tumors.
One of the first people he told was his best friend, Melissa Bussey.
Now engaged, Siegel and Bussey met in a UW-Madison bacteriology lab their sophomore year and clicked instantly as friends. They began dating in Spring 2004.
Siegel had a total of 13 doctor visits not including three MRIs and two CT Scans. Graduation weekend was wedged in between a doctor visit in Illinois and three more at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.
\Most people their age do not have to worry about potential blindness in the near future,"" said Siegel's sister Katelyn, a UW-Madison senior.
Despite a hectic and trying few months, Siegel proposed in June.
Now attending medical school at Loyola University in Chicago, the tuition costs, wedding expenses and medical bills have put a strain on the couple. That is why Bussey jumped at the chance to enter a contest offered by the Q-tip company in February that awards an essay winner $20,000 for either a wedding, prom or class reunion. Her essay requested the chance to ""get gorgeous so Matt will have visions of his beautiful bride long after he has lost his sight.""
Three months later, she received a phone call that she was one of the three finalists. Online voting runs through April 30. The winner will be announced Monday, May 2.
""I truly hope Melissa would pamper herself if she wins the money,"" Katelyn said, ""because she is more than deserving of it.""
For the couple, the prize money would give them breathing room financially. This is only the beginning of a long road ahead. Siegel will start radiation treatment next fall, and he is never certain when he will lose his vision completely. He tries to avoid the thought of going blind, as it is something he has not come to terms with.
""I would definitely miss seeing Melissa's smile and watching her eyes light up as she does it,"" Siegel said. ""It upsets me to think I wouldn't be able to see her grow old with me and to see her still smiling 40 years from now.""
Despite their unfortunate situation, optimism and staying strong for each other has been important.
""When things come up that we shouldn't have to deal with, we just try to laugh,"" Bussey said. ""One day we'll look back and think, 'What were we thinking? We were getting married while starting med school and paying medical bills?'""
But to them, it is all worth it. Although it would seem easy for the couple to feel robbed of a normal twenty-something lifestyle, they do not see it this way. They believe in taking each day as it comes.
""You realize that everyone has their things in life that are difficult,"" Bussey said. ""You just don't always know about them. Our goal is to wake up happy every morning and go to bed that way.""
To vote online, go to www.qtips.com.
