n appeal to our community:

Matt is a dear friend; a brother, a son, a father and a husband. This gentle and passionate human being is dealing with some difficulties right now, and we are wondering if you might be able help out in some way. It’s been about 14 years since his first cancer diagnosis, squamous cell carcinoma on his nose; and some serious plastic surgery. There were more, arms, neck and shoulder. Then a subcutaneous carcinoma on Matt’s back 4 years ago, (while he was experiencing abdominal pain), lead to a diagnosis of Muir-Torre Syndrome. This resulted in an emergency colonoscopy and surgery to remove part of his upper colon with stage 2 cancer. And again, more skin cancers; the most recent in November on the opposite side of his nose. Then, while his nose was still healing, Matt was diagnosed with stomach cancer. All of this is typical of Muir-Torre, a genetic disorder linked to the Ashkenazi gene.

Where can you help? In collaboration with Our Community Cares, Inc., Matt’s friends are in the process of creating auction that will run for this month on the Community Cares website. We are seeking donations, for example, of gift certificates for services, restaurants, and shops, or an item such as pottery, a piece of jewelry, other artwork or a gift basket. If you have something to donate, please either email @info@ourcommunitycarescc.org, message us on Facebook or call 518.336.5254.

If you or someone in your family experiences some of these symptoms and you have European Jewish genes in your family, get checked out. Matt had no stomach symptoms when the cancer was caught by a routine endoscopy. Thank God they found it early or he would be facing an even more dire situation. Listen to your body, nobody knows you, like you do.

Fund for Matt

By Our Community Cares, Inc.

Fund for Matt