Website Update
4/23/02

K-I-N-G. The letters are magnificent! The letters are 1.25” high. They stick to the refrigerator, and Matt has manipulated those refrigerator magnets to spell his first sight word!

It is not surprising to any of us who know Matt well that this breakthrough is a result of his current passion for a single theme, which for the past 5 months has been the school district’s production of The King and I. One day in late fall, he came home from school and told us what the music teacher had said regarding auditions for the upcoming event.

We were amazed and excited that the information he gave us regarding the production was indeed correct. That, alone, would have been accomplishment enough!! However, in checking the details more carefully with Mrs. Rooney, we learned what a large scale this production was to become.

Matt has long had a hobby of telling stories, acting out plays, and making puppets out of drawing paper, so of course, he was fully expecting to be in this play. Without a doubt, this child had every intention as on the night of the audition, he was running a fever, taking an antibiotic and we were forcing fluids to clear his system of pneumonia so he could proceed with his routinely scheduled MRI within a few days. He insisted on going.

Although he has significant motor deficits and speech impairments, he auditioned along with 400 other school-aged children. Matthew was one of 100 kids selected to be in The King and I. Matt was cast to be one of the King’s Royal Children and the theater bug promptly bit us all!

After 3 months of rehearsals the grand production was performed 3 times in our city’s crown jewel performing arts theater to audiences of 1700-2300 people. Can you feel our buttons bursting??????????

It was an experience of a lifetime for Matt to be a part of this company of people who so capably and easily embraced the “abilities” of this child. The other children quickly figured out where and how to help Matt perform the part of one of the children. The directors and student directors simply drew on Matt’s strengths and in the words of my husband, “The theater people GET-IT!” And oh, boy, did they get it!!!

Matt maintains that his favorite part of the play was to take a bow. The bow was, symbolically, the cleansing and healing piece of a very difficult and frustrating struggle from the damage caused by his brain tumor. We feel now that if Matt’s life ended today or tomorrow, he would have “done it all” because of this play. His life has come full circle in a series of the most fulfilling and satisfying experiences.

February 6 marked 6 years from his diagnosis. The day passes gently each year with reflection on all things great and beautiful. To other parents of 8-year-old children, they may not rejoice in the same milestones we witness, but to us, refrigerator magnets, taking bows, and walking across the living room without his cane are huge celebrations!

He continues in physical, occupational, and speech therapy at school and as an outpatient. His wheelchair is stored in the basement for trips to the zoo and the like. He uses his forearm cane for ambulation at school, home, church, etc. Matthew is in a regular first grade classroom but requires modified academic material. Teacher’s aides help him throughout the school day. The results of his recent psychological indicate he is performing in the mild range of mental impairment/developmentally delayed. We are awaiting the results of the neuropsychological assessment, but preliminary findings are such that he has made nice growth since the previous assessment.

In a less clinical description, Matt enjoys the Little Rascals, having friends spend the night, playing on the computer, singing songs to The King and I, eating cookies, garlic bread, cookies-and-cream ice cream, going to the library, watching Arthur on PBS, drawing pictures, and telling stories with his Disney beanie babies. He dreams of seeing the Lion King on Broadway! He is looking forward to summer vacation when he will attend drama camp through the park district. He has big plans…………