I wish to throw the first pitch
Matty, wish granted 2023
brain tumour
Seventeen-year-old Matty has a deep passion for baseball — a love he shared with his great-grandfather, who has since passed away. A dedicated player and devoted Toronto Blue Jays fan, Matty has always felt at home on the field.
When Matty was just 12 years old he was diagnosed with a rare brain tumour. Following a biopsy on the tumour, he slipped into a coma, and it was during this difficult time that the family was introduced to Make-A-Wish® Canada. Matty’s mom, Tamara, believed that even in his condition, he could hear her. She would speak to him and dream aloud about what his wish could be once he was better. “It became something we could look forward to. Something to smile about. Something that wasn’t the reality that we were living,” shared Tamara.
However, when Matty woke up, he had lost the ability to walk, swallow, and talk. He went on to endure four rounds of chemotherapy, multiple surgeries, and four weeks of radiation. After treatment, Matty then faced the difficult challenge of relearning many of the skills he had once taken for granted.
Despite the obstacles, he never lost sight of his wish or the game he loved. “I don’t remember much of what all I went through, but I do remember when I sat down to go over what I could and couldn’t do with a brain injury,” recalled Matty. “The only thing I asked was if I could play baseball; I was told not at this time but maybe one day.”
Determined to keep moving forward, Matty worked tirelessly through rehabilitation to regain his strength and independence. His perseverance earned him the Most Inspirational Player award from his Little League, recognizing the resilience he showed both on and off the field.
Matty’s wish came true when he threw the first pitch at a Toronto Blue Jays game. At 14, joined by his parents and younger sister, Kinsley, he stepped onto the mound to the cheers of thousands of fans. “I took a moment to take it all in,” Matty recalled. “I was sort of getting to live my dream, and it wasn’t about cancer or all the complications I had gone through in that moment. I was just Matty, doing what I love.”
Today, Matty is doing well, and his passion for baseball remains unchanged. His wish continues to remind him and those around him that hope, joy, and strength can be powerful medicine.
