Guest Blog by: Cindy Cleveland

Matt Cleveland

2/5/1997-3/8/2023 

“From the time Matthew was little, he could most frequently be found playing baseball,” Matthew’s mom Cindy shares with Elevate.

  “His love for the game started with T-Ball at the age of 4, continued through his participation in the Bartholomew County Little League and the Columbus Parks and Recreation Department Leagues. He then played competitive travel baseball from the time he was 9 through his sophomore year of high school. At the same time, he played for Columbus North High School through his junior year. Even after he graduated, his love of ball did not end. He began playing rec softball and joined several travel teams.

   Upon graduation from Columbus North High School in 2015, he pursued a BS in Business with a Minor in Business Management from Indiana University-Columbus, graduating in May, 2019. Matthew was excited to begin his career with Elwood Staffing in the corporate office working as an Accounts Manager. 

   Matthew was such a “foodie!” He was always finding new restaurants to try and new recipes to make at home. He loved to travel, especially to a warm sunny beach. Matthew had a soft spot for Skye, his purebred Husky. She was his baby and we nicknamed her “the Princess” because he gave her the royal treatment. Matthew had a deep love for his family and close friends. He could be sarcastic and crack lots of jokes, but those closest to him always felt genuine love and respect. 

   Matthew was a healthy young man who had recently graduated from college and started his career in business when he started having pain in his groin. After several doctor’s appointments, imaging, and a biopsy, he was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma, a form of predominantly pediatric cancer,  in October 2020.”

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   Rhabdomyosarcoma [also called Rhabdo or RMS], is a HIGHLY AGGRESSIVE form of cancer, the most common soft tissue sarcoma of childhood and adolescence. To Learn  more visit this LINK.

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   This began the journey of countless chemotherapy appointments, week-long inpatient stays at IU Health, University Hospital, and repeated imaging. Matthew endured all the horrific side effects of the chemo drugs while hoping and praying that the tumor would shrink. The treatments did shrink the tumor enough that he was able to have surgery to remove the tumor and his prostate in June 2021. 

   We were overjoyed with the news when the pathology report came back with zero margins and a successful surgery. Matthew returned to playing his beloved sport of softball with his friends.

   Unfortunately, in the fall of 2021, he started having pain again in his groin area. After imaging and consultation with his oncologist at IU Simon cancer center, he received the devastating news that a new tumor had developed in his groin. Matthew began another journey with chemotherapy, given no guarantee that it would be successful. That led to

>multiple rounds of radiation,

>immunotherapy, and a

>last ditch effort of chemotherapy to shrink the tumor that was rapidly growing and spreading in his young body.

   On December 5, 2022 the oncologist gave us the news that we were all dreading– there were no other treatment options left that would help fight off the raging beast of tumors inside him. By this time, Matthew was in excruciating pain and could barely stand to walk without crying.   

   Matthew was admitted for a brief two-day inpatient stay at Our Hospice of South Central Indiana for pain management. A week after being at home, he was taken out of hospice to receive emergency surgery for a colostomy placement at IU Health University Hospital. The rapidly growing tumor had completely blocked his rectal area. Once he was transported back home, his team of amazing hospice nurses and doctors worked night and day to manage his pain. He battled many issues with wound care and balancing the correct dose of pain medication needed to be kept comfortable.

   Matthew never lost his sense of humor and his concern and love for all of his family and friends throughout the entire journey. His faith and hope in God was restored and renewed. He knew that his suffering would soon be no more. One of his last voiced wishes was that he see Jesus. His wish was granted on March 8, 2023 surrounded by his family.”

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   Matthew’s mom, Cindy went on to share, “I am so grateful to you for creating this organization! You have been blessed with this gift from God to share your professional talents to increase awareness of childhood cancer. So many future children will benefit from all of your work. I wish our boys didn’t have to suffer like they did, but they are restored and watching down on us.”

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   Matthew’s life inspires all of us here at Elevate to do the hard work before us so that other families don’t have childhood cancers, like rhabdomyosarcoma taking the lives of our children far before their time. We wish we could have met Matthew and enjoyed his humor first hand, but will remember him as we reimagine treatment for childhood cancers through our work.

Will you partner with us to be a life changer?