Matthew started playing baseball at age 5 and football at age 6. In the summer of 2015, at age 10, he started having seizures. He was diagnosed with a low grade brain tumor.

Surgery was his best option and he was not cleared to play football in the fall season. He played soccer instead right up until the day before his surgery in November. The surgery was a success and so he played baseball again in the spring of 2016. He was cleared to play football as well in the fall season and did so as if he never had surgery. Football was his favorite sport.

His seizures came back in 2017. Seizure medicines were ineffective and so we opted for surgery again in 2018. Just like his first surgery, the tumor was removed, his seizures went away, and was cleared to play football again. This time he was going into his freshman year of high school.

He dedicated himself to working out and training entering his freshman year. He wanted to make a comeback in football just like he did before. He played all four years in high school but started having seizures again when he was a senior. He kept his condition from his coaches and teammates because he just wanted to play.

After high school, he had surgery again to remove the tumor in August of 2023. His tumor was upgraded to a grade 2 PXA and mutated to a BRAF-V600E. He enrolled in College in January of 2024 and joined the football team as a walk-on, but his routine scans showed that the tumor had returned so he had surgery again in May of 2024 to remove it. He also started proton radiation therapy in August that same year and had limited football participation that season. Returning to college in January 2025, he participated in spring football practices and the big game on February 27, despite being scheduled for surgery again the day after. His tumor was again upgraded and now a grade 3 TRX.

In April, he lost some of his hearing and started having back pains and urinary retention. He went to the ER numerous times and was admitted to the hospital where tests and scans were done, but nothing was found. He started taking Chemotherapy pills and physical therapy in May. By June, he was feeling normal again and resumed his normal routines of working a job and working out in the gym, but in November, his symptoms came back. After countless ER visits and hospital stays, no one could figure out why he was having problems and his back pain got worse. On January 08 2026, he was admitted at a hospital in Florida and further testing revealed significant abnormalities in his spinal fluid. His condition got worse on a daily basis. On January 25, he had a shunt put in because of a swelling in the brain. He was sedated and intubated at the same time. After being transported to Arthur M Blank Children’s hospital on January 29, they ran scans and tests on him. It was then confirmed that his cancer had mutated very aggressively and spread to his spine.

Matthew passed away on February 16, 2026.

Matthew’s journey in life was a difficult one. It was a constant battle for him that would not let him rest. Even with the seizures, surgeries, radiation, and chemotherapy, he always managed to recover and move forward with his life. He was a quiet kid growing up. He played multiple sports and always made an impact on teams he played for. He was a gifted and natural athlete and excelled in football, baseball, and soccer. What makes him stand out is how he would have brain surgery, recover, come back to play sports, and still be an impact player. He had a calm demeanor and was always quiet and humble on the field, never celebrating scoring or making plays. He was committed to staying fit and active even after surgeries, radiation, and chemotherapy. He kept his pain and struggles to himself so people outside his family had no idea of what he was going through. He just looked normal to them.

Matthew’s life serves as an inspiration with the way he handled cancer. He battled, struggled, and recovered in silence and never looked for sympathy. He just wanted to be treated as normal. Even as he was losing his fight, he never wanted to give up and was always looking into his future. He will always be remembered as the silent warrior.