Hi!
My name is John Matthew Matejko. I am 7 and have a disease called Ataxia Telangiectasia. I was born a perfect 7 pounder on my daddy's 25th birthday. . . December 3, 1990. At the age of 11 months I began to run unexplained fevers and 3 months later, on Valentine's Day, 1992, I was diagnosed with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia. In April of that year, Mom and Dad began to notice I fell a lot and they took me in for many tests and doctor visits. NO one knew what was wrong but they told Mom and Dad not to worry, it was the chemo. For 2 years I did chemotherapy (till 1994) and then in 1997 I began to slur my speech. Mom got a computer and learned about a disease called Ataxia Telangiectasia, which attacks the center cerebellum and means that although I can still walk, I will not get better.

I am a happy kid; I like to fish and I want to be a scientist when I grow up. My favorite color is green. I like Winnie-the-Pooh, action figures, and I have a little brother that likes to color walls. My mom has a full-time job caring for us but she also hosts the AOL chat for Parents of Kids with Cancer and my Dad makes videos and has his own contracting business. He loves to take me fishing; we live on the river in Tennessee. I am in the second grade and have lots of support at school, my Physical Therapist, Jane and my Occupational Therapist, Tina.