Couple brought together by '94 quake form unshakable bond
Man found soulmate in aftermath of natural disaster
By Sylvie Belmond belmond@theacorn.com

SLYVIE BELMOND/Acorn Newspapers CUPID'S RESCUE LADDER- Mike and Patricia Kubeisy were married less than two years after Mike helped save Patricia from her thirdfloor apartment following the Northridge earthquake. Now 13 years later, the couple has two sons and live a life dedicated to the church.

Love is a pledge of selflessness, according to Simi Valley resident Mike Kubeisy, who first bonded with the woman he would later marry, Patricia, after rescuing her from a collapsed apartment building in the aftermath of the January 1994 Northridge earthquake.

The complex was so badly damaged by the 6.7-magnitude tremor that Patricia couldn't get out of her third-floor apartment. Instead, she ran onto her balcony to call for help.

Mike, a tenant in the building who was outside helping other victims, heard her cries.

The two had known each other only casually as neighbors until the impromptu rescue led to a connection between them. They met several times after the event to discuss their shared experience, and love began to permeate the budding friendship.

"I would risk my life to save her again," said Mike, who proposed to Patricia at the Blue Bayou Restaurant in Disneyland in the summer of 1994.

After their December 1995 marriage, Mike and Patricia moved to Simi Valley, and they now have two sons, Garrett, 9 and Connor, 7.

Not surprisingly, their story has been featured on national television and in magazines.

But while the novelty of their storybook encounter has faded, the affection between Mike and Patricia hasn't.

"There's nothing greater than marriage," Mike said. "With Tricia, God gave me what I need. When God writes your love story, it cannot get better because it's perfect.

Love is a commitment, not an emotion, especially when people have a covenant with the Lord, said Mike, a devout Christian.

Marriage isn't easy, he said, because people by nature tend to be selfish and self-centered, and they often end up hurting the ones who are closest to them.

In Patricia, he said, he's found someone as committed to him as he is to her.

"She's special because I could count on her no matter what," said Mike, a professional photographer who shoots stills for television shows and creates computer X-rays for television productions.

More than a decade after her rescue, Patricia said, Mike is still her hero.

"Love is a wonderful enhancement to one's life. Our relationship makes life complete," said Patricia, a former office manager who chose to be a full-time mom. "He's an awesome father, and his strong religious faith is allencompassing to him."

According to Ron Wilson, associate pastor at Cornerstone Community Church, the Kubeisys are a great example of what the bond between husband and wife should look like.

"Love is kind and patient, and they really work at making that a part of their marriage," Wilson said. "They look at marriage as a team, both working to do the best they can to raise their children and take care of each other."