Your Donations Will Help Matt Receive A Double Lung Transplant

August 6, 2026

Hello Family & Friends! I apologize for the delay in posting this update.  I have been in a sleep-deprived fog for most of Matt’s hospital stay.  I have been sleeping in my “cubby hole” in the waiting room and catching up on some sleep.Matt posted that he was called for his double-lung transplant at 2:31 pm, on Saturday, 8/1/26.  It has been a whirlwind ever since.  Matt was successfully transplanted by 8:00 a.m. on Sunday, 8/2/26.  His surgery went smoothly.  He is responding very well, so far.  He is still on 100% oxygen to help with healing.  Day three was the most painful day.  Matt found it hard to deal with and was very easily agitated.  Me being one of his biggest triggers.  Nothing new there.  Lol!  By the end of the day, Matt was doing better and was interacting with my mom, Isaac and me.Yesterday’s pain level was almost half, thank goodness.  Now he’s just really ticked off that he can’t communicate well, with an oxygen mask on.  He has not been able to sleep much, so he has become delusional and hyperactive.  This is fairly common with lung transplant patients.  He has told about a dozen different stories that he is adamant really happened.  He has ripped out his IV, destroyed his oxygen reader and has tried to get up a few times.  I’m praying that physical therapy will come back today.  Matt is not one to sit around and do nothing.  Having to do so is another reason he is “misbehaving”.  Please pray that Matt can continue to improve every day.  Right now, we are looking at Matt being in ICU for two weeks.Wishing those of you at the Indiana State Fair the very best of luck.  We will miss seeing you all.  We haven’t missed showing there since 2008 or 2009.  Megan could have gone, but she felt that being able to visit her dad more and holding down the fort at home is more important.Take care of yourself and your loved ones.  I will try to do a better job of posting updates.God Bless,Erin

July 9, 2026

Hi Family & Friends!We are having a LISTING PARTY!! Well, not a real party, but we feel it's worth celebrating. Matt's Pre-Transplant Coordinator called today and said the committee approved for Matt to be listed on the National Organ Transplant List. The official listing will take place next Thursday, July 16th. Matt's support team consists of my mom, Peg, our son, Isaac, our daughter, Megan and our daughter-in-law, Daylen. We are all required to attend this appointment. We will meet with Matt's coordinator, transplant surgeons and the social worker. Matt will be signing the surgery consent forms and going over the procedure with the surgeons. Matt and I don't think this has all sunk in with Isaac and Megan yet. Next Thursday may be a little overwhelming for them, probably all of us. We feel very blessed that Matt has a chance at a better life after his transplant. After next Thursday, it will be a lot of praying for "The Call" to come. This has been a tough experience and the road ahead will be difficult too. We are ready.Thank you for all your positive thoughts, prayers and support. The updates will be slow coming, until after the surgery. Please continue to keep us in your prayers.God Bless, Matt & Erin

July 4, 2026

Dear Family & Friends,Matt’s July 1st recheck with the IU Health Methodist Transplant Pulmonologist, Dr. Patel,  and Pre-Transplant Coordinator, Mandy, was better than we could have imagined!!  They were both extremely proud of Matt and all the progress he has made.  He was put on their fast track and he did everything required in an amazing amount of time.  Dr. Patel gave his go-ahead for Matt to be transplanted.  He sees no reason for the rest of the committee to delay listing him.  Mandy will present everything to the committee on Tuesday (7/7), and they will discuss his case.  If they approve everything, Matt should be listed in approximately two weeks.  I called it a listing party and they loved it.  Mandy jokingly asked us to bring a llama to the party.  Probably can’t do that, but we plan to bring cupcakes at least.  We should have an answer no later than Wednesday (7/8). We had a small list of questions for Dr. Patel and Mandy.  We found out that after the first year, life can start being a little more normal.  They even said Matt could attend a llama show or two.  We were initially told never again.  He will have to wear an N95 mask and it will have to be a more open location.  Sadly, that eliminates Spring Showcase, but they seemed optimistic about the Indiana State Fair because of the open air.  Do you hear that, Lisa Robinson?  Doors Open Please!  Yes, we can have a fish tank.  Yay!  The only stipulation is that Matt cannot clean it.  Good thing I have expert help to guide me.  Lori Wilson, we will be looking for a 10-13 gallon tank or Cube.  We will be able to keep burning candles.  Most of our day-to-day habits at home will not need to change much.  Dr. Patel said that Matt’s body pain may ease up.  We can only hope.  He shouldn’t need his c-pap anymore after surgery.  I’m glad to hear that, since I was worried about it possibly harboring hidden bacteria.  Please continue praying for that to happen because our insurance has to approve everything again.  Dear Lord, please do not let them say no.Right now, the average wait time for a transplant is 4 weeks to 4 months.  We have started putting things in suitcases because we never know how long we will have to wait for the most important call of our lives.  We only have 30 minutes to leave our house once we are called.  When Matt is listed, our ringers will always be on and turned up.  Sorry if the ringing offends anyone around us, but we cannot miss this one.Thank you to every person who has donated, kept our family in your prayers and shown us continuous support.  We pray you all have a Safe & Happy 4th of July weekend!God Bless,Matt & Erin

July 1, 2026

Dear Family, Friends & Prayer Warriors,Matt wrote something and it's important that I share it:Hello All!I am finally at the weight I needed to be to be listed. I am at 232 lbs, so I have lost 145 lbs in total. I have passed all the required tests and my bloodwork looks good. I have my appointment with a Transplant Surgeon and my Pre-Transplant Coordinator tomorrow, to see if I can be listed for transplant. We could still really use your help. Erin has not been able to work as much because of my declining health. Thanks for all the prayers and support. Tomorrow is the big day.With that said, I cannot state enough how incredibly proud I am of my husband. He is my best friend, my strength, my comfort and my hero. He knows that this is a life-or-death matter and his time is limited. I believed Matt, all along. I know what he's made of. He could not have done better, preparing for tomorrow. His medical team has been very impressed by his dedication, determination and perseverance. He reached his goals as quickly as possible. This has been a journey that started last winter and we pray Matt won't have to wait until this coming winter to receive his double-lung transplant.Matt thanked you and I thank you too. You have all been so gracious with your incredibly kind words, endless prayers and thoughtful donations. We pray we have a good update for you tomorrow.God Bless,Matt & Erin

May 18, 2026

Dear Family, Friends & Generous Donors,Matt’s “To Do” list is down to its final 2 items!!  1) He has already lost an incredible 112 pounds!  He only has to lose 28 more.  This is very doable.  He walks, watches what he eats and is on Mounjaro.  2) We have to raise more funds for Matt’s aftercare.  The generosity and thoughtfulness of so many have been overwhelming.  We cannot thank you enough.  We are getting closer to the campaign goal. We can do this!Matt had his required colonoscopy last month.  He had to be a showoff, of course.  Everything looked perfect and healthy.  He didn’t have a single polyp or area of concern.  Don’t I wish we could all say that?  We are so thankful for more answered prayers.  Matt is just relieved that he won’t have to do it again for another 10 years.  Lucky duck!We met Matt’s Rheumatologist, Dr. Marcia Johnson.  We fell in with her right away.  She is such an amazing woman.  She came out of retirement to start giving scholarships to deserving college students.  She is incredibly sharp and knowledgeable.  She diagnosed Matt with very mild Rheumatoid Arthritis.  She was going to put him on a widely used medication, but, after consulting with Matt’s transplant team, has decided not to.  She will see him in October, if he isn’t recovering from a transplant.  We all hope he is.In the last month, we have been on a crazy rollercoaster ride, dealing with our insurance.  One minute we have it, the next we make too much.  We applied for a waiver, were approved, but it normally takes a year for it to kick in.  There is no reason for any American to have to worry about any of this.  How many people have and will have to die before the insurance companies don’t “control” our lives?  It’s heartbreaking when you think about it.  Well, thankfully, we finally found out tonight that our case has been reconsidered and we will have coverage.  No coverage would have been a death sentence for Matt.  Thanks Be To God!!  He Is So Good!!  We also found out that because Matt has been on disability for two years, he will start receiving Medicare Part A & B on September 1st.  This news certainly eases our worries.  Matt will have great coverage for his transplant, aftercare and medications.  We feel very blessed.We will continue to keep you all updated in the month ahead.  We truly appreciate all your prayers and support.  We couldn’t do all of this without you.  We feel and see your prayers being answered.  Take care of yourselves and your loved ones.  Hug them extra tight.Matt & Erin

April 12, 2026

Dear Family & Friends!On April 1st, Matt and I met with his Pre-Transplant Coordinator, Mandy, and Dr. Patel. It was a great meeting. Matt left feeling pretty happy. Dr. Patel was impressed with all the requirements Matt had already met. Mandy seemed proud of Matt, too.  Matt is down to needing to lose the last of the required weight and having a colonoscopy.  Dr. Patel said that at the rate Matt has already lost weight, he could be on “The List” in as little as three months.  Being in the Midwest is a plus in the transplant world because they can get organs from a much larger area than either coast.  Once Matt is listed, he shouldn’t have to wait very long.  We go back for Matt’s next appointment on July 2nd.  Dr. Patel suggested Matt visit his Pulmonologist, since it had been a while.Dr. Jha had an opening last week.  Matt went to see him and I listened in on speakerphone.  Dr. Jha was thrilled with how much weight Matt had lost and that he had finished Pulmonary rehab and was attending the maintenance session.  He won’t need to see Matt for another six months, unless Matt receives his double lung transplant before then.  Hopefully, we won’t need that appointment.  We cannot thank Dr. Jha enough for writing that letter to the transplant doctors at IU Health.  Without him doing that, at Matt’s visit with him, who knows how long all of this would have taken?  He has been a true blessing to us.Matt never ceases to amaze me!  He never gives up.  He has always been an incredibly hard worker and still gives his all to any honey-do item he’s given.  He has been giving his all with his weight loss and rehab.  He is watching his diet and we even went on a walk last week.  I hope we can go on more of those.  As of Thursday, April 9th, Matt has lost 100 pounds.  I am so, so proud of him!This update is quite a bit shorter and I believe that is a great thing.  It’s because Matt has fewer things to check off before getting listed.  Once that happens, because I know it will, we will not be going anywhere.  Not that we go very far anyway.  It will be one of the most important reasons in our lives.Thank you all for your continuous love, support and prayers.  We couldn’t face this without you.Matt & Erin

March 15, 2026

Hello Family & Friends!

Matt is checking things off of his "To Do" list, left and right. His determination and drive are just two of the many things that I love about him. Last time we talked with his Pre-Transplant Coordinator, Mandy, she was floored by all the progress Matt has made. I, personally, am not one bit surprised by it. I am watching "America's Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders" (Netflix). Yeah, yeah, I know. Anyway, there are so many rules and requirements for a person to be considered for the transplant list. Like the show, it's basically like an audition. Matt has to keep improving (practicing) so that the doctors and the committee will consider him (the audition) to make the list (the team). I'm sure he appreciates me comparing him to a cheerleader and his life to the show. Sorry, honey! But some of you may understand things a little more clearly now. Matt was required to make sure his mouth was as healthy as the rest of his body. He had a deep cleaning done. For that, he had to be fully numbed so that they could clean down to the roots. They did this one side per appointment. He had a few small fillings done. He also had to have some teeth pulled (ouch). One was a front tooth that had a crown put on while Matt was in high school. He had a weightlifting coach drop 295 lbs. on his mouth. Yikes! Thank God only one tooth had to be replaced then. We are grateful that Matt's insurance has covered all of his dental work. Dr. Chad Canal and his staff are amazing. He is accepting new patients in Crawfordsville, Indiana, if anyone is looking. Matt received a written release for his transplant doctors and is now free of dental problems. Matt wore a heart monitor for 10 days. Thank God, there was nothing negative in the results. The cardiologist said that Matt more than likely passed out due to a lack of oxygen. He will see him again in August. The infectious disease doctor wanted Matt to have some more bloodwork done. Matt was checked for a couple of things that he could have picked up in 29 Palms, CA, or Camp Lejeune, NC. His bloodwork was clear. Yay! We will handle the dormant Tuberculosis during transplant time. Matt's liver ultrasound didn't show anything that the transplant team is worried about. That was a huge weight off Matt's mind and mine. Matt has been working so hard at Pulmonary Rehab and is ticking things off his list. He has also been doing the treadmill and bike at Planet Fitness. He has lost another 10 lbs., which brings him to just 40 more to go. I am so, so proud of him. We read the labels on our food now. The foods we buy have drastically changed, for the better. That has made a difference in Matt's weight loss. Unfortunately, I believe I may be gaining what he's losing. Grrrr! The last medical "task" Matt has to complete is having a good old colonoscopy. Those of us who have had one know it's not as bad as we imagined. The prep is the worst part. If he has to drink the jug of the worst-tasting drink ever created, I will truly feel for him. That stuff literally made me cry. We're praying the results are good for this as well. I will be attending the Spring Showcase Llama Show with Megan. This one will be tough because Matt was normally there with us. We will miss him terribly. Thankfully, he will be able to watch it live, online. He will have to go back and forth between watching Megan show llamas and the NCAA Wrestling Finals. Not too bad for his birthday weekend. He is looking forward to spending his birthday with Isaac, Daylen and Emilia. He can't wait to play with Emi! If you are at the Spring Showcase next weekend and would like to make a donation to Matt's transplant fund, look for the attached picture. There will be boxes there, with this photo on them. Thank you to everyone who has contributed to the fundraiser! It has made such a big dent in what we need to raise. Thank you to all of you who have continued to keep us in your prayers. We can never have too many of those. Your tremendous support is keeping us going. Take care of yourselves and God bless you all.

Matt & Erin

February 9, 2026

Hello Family & Friends!

I know it has been a while since my last post about Matt. I apologize for the wait. So, here goes (I pray I can remember everything). The last day of Matt's 3-day testing, he had two pretty easy tests, compared to the two days before. The same day, we met with Matt's Pre-Transplant Coordinator. She went over his vaccines and informed him that he will have to be vaccinated for Hep B and will have to receive an annual Covid vaccine with his Flu shot. He also needed to start taking vitamin D. She said she would be calling us after the transplant committee met, the following Thursday. After meeting with her, we met with an incredibly kind, soft-spoken and caring social worker. It was wonderful having both Isaac and Megan there. We learned quite a bit from her. One thing she told us that we didn't know is that we are required to have at least $5000 in savings for Matt to be added to the waiting list. We have to provide proof of it. We can do it with fundraising or by selling things. Hence, our trailer and a few llamas, Megan and I had hoped to keep, being for sale. She suggested an organization called Help Hope Love. I am waiting to hear back from them. Some of you have asked about donating. I will let you know as soon as I know more. Matt received the call at the beginning of the week, following the committee meeting. He was told that he had a few things to have checked out, but he has not been excluded. This was a step in the right direction. She said that Matt tested positive for Tuberculosis and would have to meet with an Infectious Disease doctor. He would have to meet with a Cardiologist and wear a heart monitor for 10 days. This is because Matt passed out on the treadmill at Pulmonary Rehab. The Cardiologist who did his Cardiac Catheterization said that everything looked great, he saw nothing that concerned him and that he was saying Yes to transplant. (Yay!) The Endoscope test showed that Matt has a slow esophagus and that if transplanted, he may have to have a feeding tube for recovery. The doctors won't know for sure until he is in surgery. On his full body scan, Matt had possible signs of cirrhosis of the liver. We said he rarely drank alcohol. Unbeknownst to us, there is a cirrhosis Wawa that is not alcohol related. He would need an ultrasound to confirm or dismiss the possibility. If he has it, he can be put on medication. There is also a need to continue losing weight. We are working on that. He has already lost 83 lbs., but he has another 60 lbs. to lose. He is taking it seriously. Matt and I met with the Cardiologist and the Infectious Disease doctor this past Monday. We really liked them both a lot. The heart doctor believes, like we do, that Matt's passing out was due to asphyxiation, not a heart issue. He had a heart monitor put on Matt for the 10 days that the transplant doctors requested. He is wearing it as I am typing this. It is adhered to his newly shaven chest. The Infectious Disease doctor is a silly woman. She actually chose to move up here because she missed the snow she experienced growing up in Pennsylvania. She had been living in Nashville, TN. Indiana certainly welcomed her with a good amount of snowfall. We informed her that she was crazy and that we would have loved to trade places with her. LOL! She said that Matt could have contracted TB as a child or during his time in Marine Corps boot camp, in 29 Palms, CA, or schooling, in Camp Lejeune, NC and that it has been and still is dormant. Matt is not contagious in any way. To prevent it from "rearing its ugly head," he would be started on medication just before or just after transplant. He will go ahead and have bloodwork done to make sure it is not another issue that can cause a false positive. Matt has his liver ultrasound this coming Friday. The Pre-Transplant Coordinator also informed us that the committee is now requiring that we have $8,000 in savings before they will add us to the list. This is because I am self-employed and plan on not working during Matt's recovery. This basically means that if Matt ends up being cleared medically, it could be money keeping him from a transplant. So...does anyone need a trailer or any llamas? Thank you all for your continued love, support and prayers. This would all be so much harder if it were not for every one of you. We can never have too many prayers. I will continue to keep you all updated. I will do my best to do it sooner next time. Take care of yourselves and God Bless you all.

Matt & Erin