Let’s help Matt get his independence back! All funds raised will go directly to Matt for his mobility needs! No amount is too little. If you cannot donate, please share! The more people that see this, the better chance we have of helping Matt regain his independence!

What does independence mean to you? Is it the ability to go to the grocery store when you need to? What about taking a shower when you want to? What about being able to leave your home without assistance in case of an emergency? These are all things we take for granted yet these are all things Matt has to deal with every single day of his life.

What kind of a price would you put on your own independence? While this may seem like a lot of money, it is only a fraction of what it will take for Matt to gain his independence, but it is a start in the right direction!

Matt needs:

1. A wheelchair accessible vehicle with hand controls

2. The required training for the hand control use

3. Safe and wheelchair accessible housing (either remodeling his trailer or a new build on his land)

Matt’s Story:

Matt is a local firefighter, Shriner, and community advocate within the hills of eastern Kentucky. Over the past few years Matt had a series of health events that confiscated his mobility and independence. As of now, Matt is dependent on his parents to get him from his wheelchair into a vehicle via a lift machine. This machine has to be taken with them if Matt wants to be able to get out of the vehicle. The process is not only difficult for his parents physically, but it is dangerous for Matt as well. If it is raining, Matt has to cancel medical appointments because it is not possible to get him in and out of the vehicle safely. As of the New Year 2025 holiday, the lift on Matt’s truck tore up and the recent snow storms we have experienced in eastern Kentucky have forced Matt to isolate inside of his home with no way of getting it fixed anytime soon. Currently Matt’s wheelchair cannot fit through the doorways of his home. He has to depend on his parents to transfer him from one room to the other using a lift. This is incredibly dangerous, in the event of an emergency, Matt would not be able to get out without assistance. While his parents are more than happy to help Matt, the physical strain is proving to be too strenuous. Despite the struggles Matt has faced, he has never lost his smile or his will to live life to the fullest. He has a heart of gold and continues to push himself to be part of the fire department and Masonic lodge. He is currently helping with a local food pantry serving as their secretary and treasurer. Matt also volunteers his time assisting the fire department with training and radio equipment, while also serving as their vice president. Matt deserves to be happy and to have the independence he desires.

l ask that you take into consideration the valor of this man. While most would have given up on life, Matthew continues to make the best of what he has been given. He is so appreciative and patient. Matt told me the first full year after his surgery (2021) he tried his best not to miss a fire department meeting, and if he did it was few and far between. He said, “I figure if I could be there with everything I had going on, everyone else could be too.” Matt is an inspiration to all of us, and this is the mentality we should all have; this is the mentality that can make this world a much better place.