Help support Fallen Firefighter/Paramedic Matt "Q" McQuesten's family.
On November 29th, 2023, Grove City, Ohio Fireman/Paramedic Matt McQuesten went in for what was thought to be a routine open heart surgery for a valve replacement. After several hours in the OR, the outcome shocked and devastated his family and surgeon. Unexpectedly, Matt's heart had stopped working altogether. He left the OR requiring multiple supportive devices to keep him alive, but critically stable.
The surgical care team was cautiously optimistic for Matt. Being only 37 years old, they were hopeful his heart would regain some ability to function. The day following the initial surgery, Matt had two more procedures and devices inserted to help his non-functioning heart continue to work. On the third day of agonizingly waiting for improvement, his family received the news that his only chance at recovery would be a heart transplant.
"I want to be a fireman!" Ever since childhood, Matt hoped to follow in his father's footsteps of being a first responder and saving lives. He worked hard to follow his dreams by riding alongside his second family at the Whitehall Division of Fire. He graduated from Paramedic school of December 2013 and earned his Fire Certification in the summer of 2015. Most recently, Matt "Q" McQuesten was a Federal Paramedic with the Veterans Affairs Fire Department in Chillicothe, Ohio and also worked alongside his father at the St. Albans Township Fire Department.
Matt waited at the top of the list for a heart transplant for 14 days, each day having complications or set-backs making the waiting feel impossible for his family. "I hated everything he was going through. I was heart broken but determined to get him better. I could handle the set-backs. I could get through each agonizing day of waiting", says Matt's wife, Kelli. "I just needed his body to stay strong enough while we waited for a heart." Kelli's career is actually in organ donation, working for Lifeline of Ohio where she spreads the importance of their mission to save and heal lives. Seeing the benefits of donation and lives being saved in her work, she was hopeful Matt would get a second chance at life. Tragically, the perfect match still hadn't came. As a final effort he underwent another major surgery to hopefully keep him strong enough until a match was found. The following day, Matt devastatingly passed away.
Matt and his wife, Kelli, have three sons, ages 16, 12 and 6. Jokingly called the "baby whisperer" by his family, Matt was always destined to be an amazing father. When he wasn't working, he coached his children's travel and indoor soccer teams, supporting their love for the sport, often going straight from a 24-hour shift to soccer field sidelines. Matt would have done anything for his boys, and loved their passions alongside with them, always their biggest fan and supporter. He worked extremely hard to provide for his family and did everything he could to help the kids work to fulfill their dreams. For over 8 years Matt coached his children's recreational, travel and indoor soccer teams.
Matt's tragic passing has left a void that can never be filled. He was an amazing man who left the world way too soon. His wife and three sons not only grieve the loss of their beloved husband and father but they now also face the daunting reality of moving forward without their primary provider.
We are reaching out to ask for your support in helping the McQuesten family during this incredibly difficult time. Our fundraising goal will cover the memorial and funeral expenses, keep the family in their home, help keep their family cars, pay for medical bills, and help keep Matt's boys in the competitive sports that he dreamed for them to succeed in. This support is detrimental in offering a stability to Kelli and her boys as they navigate this heartbreaking and challenging transition. Your contribution, no matter its size, will help manage immediate expenses and offer the McQuesten family hope.