Roommate Michael Whitford saw Matt s arm responding to therapy, so in July Michael started tossing balls at Matt to test his interest. By October, Matt was practicing with the team three days a week. His reconstructed elbow had range of motion to throw the ball across the diamond. Three injured vertebrae gave him no pain. He contributed a double to Vanguard s 11-7 win.
Doctors are amazed.
He will get better and better. USA Today, the Los Angeles Times, and Los Angeles KABC told his story to millions. There was another crowd who wanted to hear his uplifting message his classmates. The Vanguard community is a close-knit one. Matt s classmates felt a high level of respect for him that only increased when he stood before them at Commencement, saying, Life is beautiful.