Medical expenses for Anthony Mattei

Hi, my name is Jill and I am fundraising for a family near and dear to my heart! The Mattei family has been through more medical emergencies than any family should have to deal with and they are dealing with another one right now. Anthony’s story begins back in November 2021 when he hit his head on the floor in gym class. This is his story and what his journey looks like from here. Please take a few minutes and read Anthony’s story, help if you can and please share!! Thank you so much!!

November 29th 2021, while playing volleyball in gym class, Anthony went to dig the ball and lost his footing causing the back right side of his head to “bounce” off of the gym floor. Months of ER visits, scans, medication changes, physical therapy, occupational therapy and appointments with Strongs Concussion Clinic in Rochester and we are now 9 months out with little to no improvements in his symptoms.

For the first 2-3 months Anthony had to relearn to write. His grip on small objects was gone. He was experiencing “tremors” in his right arm and hand which were pretty painful for him. During those 2-3 months his dizziness and headaches were also at a peak along with weakness in his right leg to a point that he needed assistance walking the majority of the time either by a physical person or object.

For the last 6-7 months we have been daily with daily headaches, dizziness, double/blurred vision, balance issues (worse with a worsening headache), sleep disruptions nightly, nausea, extreme fatigue, increased OCD and the list goes on.

The only answer we have been given after multiple appointments up at Strong was that this is all “anxiety related”. This was not acceptable. So we looked for a TBI/Concussion specialist that had the tools and tests to cover every stone and not leave a single one left unturned. Concussion Management of NY was one I researched and found and put in a referral online. The next morning Dr. Gometz called me from his cell phone and told me “I reviewed his file and everything you sent to me and I want to see him tomorrow”. Well that couldn’t happen so we scheduled for soon after.

August 8th, Anthony went down for 2 1/2 hours of testing. What we found is that’s vestibular system is damaged and where he hit caused a breakage in this system and thus causing severe nerve damage behind both of his eyes. Anthony is unable to track objects. Where normal 14 year old kids can track objects at about 96-98% Anthony is tracking at 8.8%. This is throwing his entire vision off and with it, headaches, balance, nausea, dizziness etc.

Treatment:

-NYC treatments bi weekly for 4-6 sessions. To retrain the vestibular system and rebuild the nerves that were damaged.

-Daily at home training with a therapist and the brain HQ tracking computer system.

-Optic Kinetic system training treatment

-Packed on supplements for brain healing and inflammation.

-cervical traction treatments

-sleep therapy and routine

After all of this is started we will then be meeting again with the neurosurgeon at Mount Sinai who is in the process of reviewing his last MRI from February of this year to look closer at the communicating hydrocephalus that was seen on his scan. He wants to see what exactly is causing this and rule out a lower spinal fluid leak. This is most likely NOT the cause but he is ruling it out because as long as this is clear we will start hyperbaric chamber treatments on top of all of the other treatments as well to aid in the brain healing.

Down side: NYC and virtual treatments are all up front out of pocket until reimbursed “when” reimbursed by insurance.