Matt's Story

Five years ago I woke up surrounded by medical personnel asking me to answer simple questions: What is your name? What is the date? I couldn't do it. I'd had a grand mal seizure that morning and had terrified the color out of my parents' skin (not that there was much there to begin with). Later that day I found myself being prepped for brain surgery for the following morning, but my uncle, who is a physician, asked me to seek a second opinion before going through with surgery. After the ordeal I've gone through, I am thankful for having had him there to help guide me.

The mass (or the blob as I like to call it) rests on my motor strip, and surgery would have left me paralyzed. Instead, I went through radiation and chemotherapy. In 2007 the fun began with more seizures, and I started to fail through the list of anti-epileptic medications available. In 2009 I had seizure surgery to remove the seizure focus, but again unfortunately this procedure was unsuccessful. This year, 2010, I had to start a new round of treatment for the blob.

This tumor has been the hardest thing for my family to deal with, but it has also been a blessing for me. I found a passion for Occupational Therapy during my time as a patient after the seizure surgery, and I am now working toward my Masters in Occupational Therapy at the University of Pittsburgh, which is one of the best programs in the nation. But more importantly, I appreciate and respect life, I find beauty in simple things, I am surrounded by amazing people, and that is why I choose to Walk Ahead for a Cure.