As close childhood friends of Matt and Danielle DiPietro, we've known this amazing family for decades. We are Amy and Nathan Rand, and we're writing this GoFundMe post with heavy hearts but genuine hope. Matt is battling a rare and aggressive cancer, and we want to rally everyone—friends, family, community members, and compassionate strangers—to help give him the best possible chance to keep being the devoted dad, husband, and all-around great guy we've always known.

Matt is the loving husband to our dear friend Danielle and the proud father of three fantastic kids: Tyler (22), who's been attending Liberty University; Dylan (19), who's currently a freshman at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) pursuing engineering while diving into challenging engineering classes and continuing his football career as a wide receiver on the WPI team (with the significant ongoing financial pressures of college adding a substantial strain among everything else); and their joyful little girl Olivia (5), who's thrilled about starting kindergarten this fall. We can't bear the thought of Olivia growing up without her daddy there to walk her to school, cheer her on, or share in all those special moments—or of Dylan balancing his rigorous academics and football without his dad's support during these crucial early college years. Matt has always been the one who shows up for his family, no matter what.

The journey began unexpectedly in May 2023, just two years after Olivia was born, when Matt started experiencing persistent nosebleeds. That led to a diagnosis of sinonasal mucosal melanoma—a rare cancer that hits only a small number of people each year. Matt tackled it with incredible determination through treatments, including surgery at the end of 2024 to remove part of his left lung when the cancer returned. We all celebrated when he reached remission.

Sadly, in November 2025, the cancer reappeared in his right lung, and surgery is no longer an option due to the risks and location. Through every step, Matt's resilience has been nothing short of inspiring, but the physical, emotional, and financial strain on the family has been immense.

For the past 14 years, Matt has been the reliable manager at his family's owned local CNC production machine shop right here in the Worcester area, where he oversees precision manufacturing and keeps operations running smoothly to support his loved ones and contribute to the community. More recently, he took a brave leap by opening **The Fresh Monkee** in Worcester—a place that makes the best protein shakes and smoothies ever! But with ongoing treatments, missed work from the CNC shop, travel expenses, copays, and the costs of supporting both Tyler and Dylan through college, even with insurance covering much of the core medical care, the extra burdens have added up and left the family stretched incredibly thin.

Here's the hopeful part: There's a promising breakthrough in the form of mRNA-based personalized cancer vaccines (like those from Moderna/Merck partnerships), which have demonstrated strong efficacy in melanoma trials—reducing recurrence risk significantly (around 44-49% in some studies when combined with immunotherapy). These are being used in the UK with great results, but they're not yet approved or covered by insurance in the U.S., and approval could take several years. Matt simply doesn't have that time to wait.

Thankfully, a U.S. foundation is offering compassionate access to this potentially lifesaving vaccine treatment, but it's not insured and can cost upwards of $150,000 based on individual needs. This is why we're reaching out—every donation will go straight toward securing this treatment and covering related expenses, giving Matt the fighting chance he deserves.

Your support could mean Matt is there for Dylan's entire time at WPI as he dives into challenging engineering classes and continues his football career, for Tyler's next steps after Liberty, for Olivia's entire grammar school journey, and for so many more family moments with Danielle. Even a small amount helps, and if you can't donate, sharing this widely could connect us with someone who can.

Matt has spent his life being there for others—whether at the family CNC shop or building something new with The Fresh Monkee. Now, let's come together for him. Thank you from the depths of our hearts for helping the DiPietro family in this critical fight.

With love and hope,

Amy and Nathan Rand (on behalf of Matt, Danielle, Tyler, Dylan, and Olivia DiPietro)

**Goal: $150,000**

Funds will be used exclusively for the cancer vaccine treatment and associated medical/travel costs. Regular updates will be shared here. Let's beat this together. ❤️