Fatt Matt Fights Leukemia
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“Ever since the doctor walked in the room and said, “I’m sorry, you have leukemia,” my life has been insane.”
Matt Hall is a high school senior from Northern Virginia. He works full-time as a Chick-fil-A store manager (“I sound like a pretty normal guy, huh?”) and is affectionately known to friends and family as “Fatt Matt”. He explains, “That nickname was given to me by my older brother as a joke, but the name kinda stuck. I love it and it’s here to stay.”
But on December 14, 2018, Fatt Matt, a kindhearted, hardworking young man with a sunny sense of humor, was hit with news no 18-year-old should ever have to hear. He was diagnosed with Pre B Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, high risk for his age.
Ever the optimist, Matt was quick to see the silver lining--this form of leukemia is fairly survivable. After spending most of December and early January in the hospital, Matt recovered his strength and has been home ever since. He underwent a first round of chemotherapy in January where doctors installed a central port into Matt’s chest, delivering chemotherapy directly to his body and monitoring his blood without tethering him to an IV. Matt is now in the middle of his second phase of chemo.
Thanks to the great work of the doctors at Inova Fairfax Children’s Hospital who administered his first round of chemo, as Fatt Matt will happily tell you, he’s technically in remission already. But unfortunately, his path to full recovery has only just begun. Matt will have to undergo a full three years of chemotherapy treatment to make sure the cancer is gone for good and doesn’t come back. The toughest parts of the journey, for both Matt and his family, are still ahead.
Even Fatt Matt can’t pretend life goes on as normal while fighting leukemia. In his blog, Matt admits how hard the bad days are. “The days where getting out of bed is the most exhausting task ever. The days where I tell everyone “I feel great!” when I know that it’s a total lie. At one point I told someone that I’m an 18 year old in what feels like an 80 year old’s body. I have to watch my body fall apart as I get medicine that will only worsen that feeling.” In constant fear of being readmitted to the hospital, Matt may not get to attend his senior prom, or even his own high school graduation.
Not only has the cancer put Matt’s life on hold, it’s also shaken his family’s world. The third of six children, with youngest siblings aged 6 and 7, the Hall family rallied immediately around Matt in his time of need. Matt’s parents drive 100 miles round-trip several times a week to get Matt to the hospital for his chemo treatments. They’re attempting to sell their home quickly and move closer to the hospital while also paying for expensive medications and home health care. Cancer is often hard on younger siblings, and Matt’s family is no exception. His youngest brother and sister, particularly 7-year-old Jackson, struggle with anxiety over Matt’s health and the family’s future.
When factoring in moving expenses, commuting costs, medication and health care expenses, and the dozens of other small financial burdens that come with supporting a large family and caring for a child with cancer, these three years of treatment will likely bring the Hall family around $130,000 in unexpected costs.
As close friends of the Halls, and watching firsthand the sacrifices his parents and siblings have made in these first few months of his illness, we wanted to do what we could to help support the Hall family financially through these difficult three years. Your contribution will go towards helping this family pay for food, gas, medicine, health care, and moving expenses over the next three years.
As Matt says in his blog, “Cancer doesn’t define who I am. It will affect me for quite some time, but it’s not me. I am more than my cancer.”
Follow Fatt Matt's story here: https://fattmattsstories.home.blog/
Matt Hall is a high school senior from Northern Virginia. He works full-time as a Chick-fil-A store manager (“I sound like a pretty normal guy, huh?”) and is affectionately known to friends and family as “Fatt Matt”. He explains, “That nickname was given to me by my older brother as a joke, but the name kinda stuck. I love it and it’s here to stay.”
But on December 14, 2018, Fatt Matt, a kindhearted, hardworking young man with a sunny sense of humor, was hit with news no 18-year-old should ever have to hear. He was diagnosed with Pre B Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, high risk for his age.
Ever the optimist, Matt was quick to see the silver lining--this form of leukemia is fairly survivable. After spending most of December and early January in the hospital, Matt recovered his strength and has been home ever since. He underwent a first round of chemotherapy in January where doctors installed a central port into Matt’s chest, delivering chemotherapy directly to his body and monitoring his blood without tethering him to an IV. Matt is now in the middle of his second phase of chemo.
Thanks to the great work of the doctors at Inova Fairfax Children’s Hospital who administered his first round of chemo, as Fatt Matt will happily tell you, he’s technically in remission already. But unfortunately, his path to full recovery has only just begun. Matt will have to undergo a full three years of chemotherapy treatment to make sure the cancer is gone for good and doesn’t come back. The toughest parts of the journey, for both Matt and his family, are still ahead.
Even Fatt Matt can’t pretend life goes on as normal while fighting leukemia. In his blog, Matt admits how hard the bad days are. “The days where getting out of bed is the most exhausting task ever. The days where I tell everyone “I feel great!” when I know that it’s a total lie. At one point I told someone that I’m an 18 year old in what feels like an 80 year old’s body. I have to watch my body fall apart as I get medicine that will only worsen that feeling.” In constant fear of being readmitted to the hospital, Matt may not get to attend his senior prom, or even his own high school graduation.
Not only has the cancer put Matt’s life on hold, it’s also shaken his family’s world. The third of six children, with youngest siblings aged 6 and 7, the Hall family rallied immediately around Matt in his time of need. Matt’s parents drive 100 miles round-trip several times a week to get Matt to the hospital for his chemo treatments. They’re attempting to sell their home quickly and move closer to the hospital while also paying for expensive medications and home health care. Cancer is often hard on younger siblings, and Matt’s family is no exception. His youngest brother and sister, particularly 7-year-old Jackson, struggle with anxiety over Matt’s health and the family’s future.
When factoring in moving expenses, commuting costs, medication and health care expenses, and the dozens of other small financial burdens that come with supporting a large family and caring for a child with cancer, these three years of treatment will likely bring the Hall family around $130,000 in unexpected costs.
As close friends of the Halls, and watching firsthand the sacrifices his parents and siblings have made in these first few months of his illness, we wanted to do what we could to help support the Hall family financially through these difficult three years. Your contribution will go towards helping this family pay for food, gas, medicine, health care, and moving expenses over the next three years.
As Matt says in his blog, “Cancer doesn’t define who I am. It will affect me for quite some time, but it’s not me. I am more than my cancer.”
Follow Fatt Matt's story here: https://fattmattsstories.home.blog/
Organizer
Laura Hall
Organizer
Purcellville, VA
