Your Donations Will Help Matt Receive A Double Lung Transplant

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