Face Off With Team Matt
Donation protected
Starting from day one of Matt's fight everyone has asked how they can help the Adonis family. So many of you have reached out to us we decided to start this fund. Please help us give back to a family who gives to everyone.
We asked Alyssa to write something to help you all understand Matt's Journey so far.
A note from Alyssa:
On September 6th, just one day before our 9 year old beautiful twins Matthew and Madyson were supposed to start 4th grade, our precious little boy Matthew, was diagnosed with a brain tumor- a medullablastoma. Matthew had recently started having mild headaches and nausea. Doctors first thought it was just migraines but we knew something wasn’t right. We went back for another visit with our doctor and she sent us to a neurologist and within a few days we were having an MRI done. The morning of the MRI when Matthew was finished, a team of people came out to meet us to give us the news that our little boy had a brain tumor. We were in shock and completely heartbroken. How could our beautiful, loveable, fun loving, sweet as sweet can be, goofball, athletic, hockey playing, lacrosse playing little boy have a brain tumor? The fear, the heartache, the sadness, washed over all of us. Our life as we knew it, would no longer be. Our new life would be filled with fear (but also with hope, love and faith) as we spend the next days, weeks, and months fighting to save our baby’s life and cure him from this awful illness. No child should ever have to suffer through such a horrific illness.
In just two short weeks, Matthew has already had brain surgery, a shunt put in his brain to drain the fluid build-up from the tumor, spent 8 days in the hospital, had numerous brain and spine MRIs, been seen by several oncologists, had a chemo port put in (I still can’t fathom the fact that my little boy has a chemo port), had a spinal tap, and now is also facing a second surgery to remove another lesion found in his spine. And that is just the beginning. On October 9th, our baby will start a 9 month treatment regimen- 6 weeks of daily chemotherapy and radiation then an additional 6 months of 28 day cycles of chemotherapy.
Matthew is considered high risk and has a long fight ahead of him. But he is a strong little boy, a warrior already in this battle, and is surrounded by his loving family and countless friends. He is scared.. he is confused.. he's already tired of hospitals and doctors. He doesn't understand why he can't just play hockey and do the things he always did. His twin sister is so sad but she tries to be mother hen.. and take care of everyone.. and keep everyone smiling. We are so sad for both our babies that their childhood as they knew it just came to a screeching hault.. but we pray that by this time next year we will be able to pick up where we left off. Until then, We will fight this fight together with love in our hearts, hope and faith in God, and are so grateful and humbled by the outpouring of love and support for our little boy and our family. So many wonderful friends and family have already reached out to us to provide love, prayers, cards, food, flowers, balloons and more.
So many others keep asking us and our close friends and family how they can help. We have already begun this long uphill battle and in addition to being an emotional scary, sad and heartbreaking time for our family, the cost of care and travel for Matthew’s surgeries and treatment have already taken a toll on our family financially. Dear friends of ours wanted to start a GoFundMe Page and we were hesitant at first, but after speaking to our social worker this week she told us not to be hesitant because people want to help. So any help would be so greatly appreciated.
A hockey father told Matt’s daddy recently something that sums up Matthew perfectly. “What Matthew lacks in size, he makes up in heart”.
We are forever grateful to you all for all of your prayers, love and support in helping us fight this fight with our little boy. We will win!
God Bless You All,
Alyssa, Mark, Matthew & Madyson
We asked Alyssa to write something to help you all understand Matt's Journey so far.
A note from Alyssa:
On September 6th, just one day before our 9 year old beautiful twins Matthew and Madyson were supposed to start 4th grade, our precious little boy Matthew, was diagnosed with a brain tumor- a medullablastoma. Matthew had recently started having mild headaches and nausea. Doctors first thought it was just migraines but we knew something wasn’t right. We went back for another visit with our doctor and she sent us to a neurologist and within a few days we were having an MRI done. The morning of the MRI when Matthew was finished, a team of people came out to meet us to give us the news that our little boy had a brain tumor. We were in shock and completely heartbroken. How could our beautiful, loveable, fun loving, sweet as sweet can be, goofball, athletic, hockey playing, lacrosse playing little boy have a brain tumor? The fear, the heartache, the sadness, washed over all of us. Our life as we knew it, would no longer be. Our new life would be filled with fear (but also with hope, love and faith) as we spend the next days, weeks, and months fighting to save our baby’s life and cure him from this awful illness. No child should ever have to suffer through such a horrific illness.
In just two short weeks, Matthew has already had brain surgery, a shunt put in his brain to drain the fluid build-up from the tumor, spent 8 days in the hospital, had numerous brain and spine MRIs, been seen by several oncologists, had a chemo port put in (I still can’t fathom the fact that my little boy has a chemo port), had a spinal tap, and now is also facing a second surgery to remove another lesion found in his spine. And that is just the beginning. On October 9th, our baby will start a 9 month treatment regimen- 6 weeks of daily chemotherapy and radiation then an additional 6 months of 28 day cycles of chemotherapy.
Matthew is considered high risk and has a long fight ahead of him. But he is a strong little boy, a warrior already in this battle, and is surrounded by his loving family and countless friends. He is scared.. he is confused.. he's already tired of hospitals and doctors. He doesn't understand why he can't just play hockey and do the things he always did. His twin sister is so sad but she tries to be mother hen.. and take care of everyone.. and keep everyone smiling. We are so sad for both our babies that their childhood as they knew it just came to a screeching hault.. but we pray that by this time next year we will be able to pick up where we left off. Until then, We will fight this fight together with love in our hearts, hope and faith in God, and are so grateful and humbled by the outpouring of love and support for our little boy and our family. So many wonderful friends and family have already reached out to us to provide love, prayers, cards, food, flowers, balloons and more.
So many others keep asking us and our close friends and family how they can help. We have already begun this long uphill battle and in addition to being an emotional scary, sad and heartbreaking time for our family, the cost of care and travel for Matthew’s surgeries and treatment have already taken a toll on our family financially. Dear friends of ours wanted to start a GoFundMe Page and we were hesitant at first, but after speaking to our social worker this week she told us not to be hesitant because people want to help. So any help would be so greatly appreciated.
A hockey father told Matt’s daddy recently something that sums up Matthew perfectly. “What Matthew lacks in size, he makes up in heart”.
We are forever grateful to you all for all of your prayers, love and support in helping us fight this fight with our little boy. We will win!
God Bless You All,
Alyssa, Mark, Matthew & Madyson
Organizer and beneficiary
Alyssa Ryan Adonis
Organizer
Landing, NJ
Alyssa Adonis
Beneficiary
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