Matthew's story begins with his birth in February 1999. He was a healthy child, the third born to us with an older sister and brother. Matthew was easy going and affectionate as a baby and he always made us laugh with his antics. At about 18 months old he took a tumble off a swing and when we took him to the ER we found out he had broken his wrist. He complained of his ankle hurting also, so we took an x-ray and found no break. About 3 months later Matthew was climbing from floor to sofa and held his leg and cried, so we went back for another x-ray. This time the doctors told us there was a break and it needed further assessment.

Within the hour we were at the Orthopedic Oncologist's office. They scheduled a biopsy and reassured us that it might be nothing. As long as I live I'll never forget being ushered into the closet sized room with the table and chairs where three doctors walked in with downcast expressions. It was cancer they said, Leukemia. We were devastated. He wasn't even 2 years old. Did children this young actually get cancer?

After further testing they told us it was not Leukemia, it was Neuroblastoma. That's good I said right? The doctor just shook his head. Neuroblastoma is a cancer of the nervous system and is very aggressive and one of the children's cancers that has the lowest survival rate. Matthew's cancer had metastasized to the bone and had broken his leg from the inside out. Chemotherapy started immediately.

The first six weeks was a blur. Just figuring out how to take care of all of the kids was a struggle. Our family came to our rescue. Over the course of his treatment Matthew underwent aggressive chemotherapy, stem cell transplant, surgery, radiation, multiple blood transfusions and hospital stays. He also participated in a clinical trial at Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital in NY, which involved regular 2 week trips to NY. We spent endless hours in treatment, waiting for treatment and traveling to get treatment. Even on a tiny body the side effects of cancer treatment are numerous and devastating and often require further hospital care to sustain life. After months of treatment Matthew was in remission, but even so the doctors told us we must finish his treatment to gain the best odds for survival.

And then came the day we found out the cancer had returned and there was nothing else we could do to save him. Matthew had spent nearly half of his life in and out of hospitals. It was a constant struggle to give Matthew any kind of normal life. Now there was nothing we could do to save him. Matthew died at home in his bed on September 28, 2002.

That's why we're here. You only get one childhood. We want to make the everyday lives of children with cancer better. Please help us. Be a helper to a child with cancer.

Sincerely,

Rebecca (Matthew's Mother)