Who is Matt?

Matthew S. Boyd was a 14-year-old boy from Townsend, MA who was full of love, light, and happiness. In January 2021, he was brought to his pediatrician for a lingering cough. His physical exam looked good but out of precautions, the doctor ordered an x-ray. He was sent home but received a call an hour later telling him to get to MGH right away, as masses were found throughout his chest. That week, he was diagnosed with Stage 4 Soft Tissue Epithelial Undifferentiated Spindle Cell Sarcoma. A rare form of Sarcoma that was never seen before in the Boston Hospitals. These tumors covered his lungs, diaphragm, encased his heart, and eventually made their way to his lymph nodes and brain. His oncology team tried everything from chemotherapy and radiation to clinical trials, in hopes of finding a drug that worked. Unfortunately, his form of cancer was too aggressive and the available options only worked for a short period of time. Matthew passed away on October 30, 2021, but continues to build his legacy throughout the community, giving other cancer families hope.  Throughout Matt’s 9 month journey with cancer, he continued to shine and bring positivity to everyone around him. He always put others first and proved that kindness is what’s truly important in life. While in the hospital, Matt always enjoyed receiving gift bags, gift cards and his Make-A-Wish boat. As well as other amazing trips funded by his community. It was in those moments that he and his family forgot about their reality and was able to share some smiles and laughs, getting them through the toughest days of their life.  In honor of Matt, Ducks for Cancer will be creating a baby duck and donating a portion of the proceeds to “Lucy’s Love Bus,” which is a nonprofit organization created by Lucy Grogan and her family in 2006. Lucy also lost her battle with cancer but her family continues to honor her by bringing happiness to others. It was their desire to “deliver love, comfort and quality of life to children with cancer,” spreading joy and hope to kids and their families in the Boston area. Due to this organization, kids have been able to get access to integrated therapies such as acupuncture, messages, horseback riding, art and music therapy. It is our hope that we can give other kids in similar situations the motivation to push through the day and something to look forward to, as we know how hard cancer can be.  https://lucyslovebus.org/who-we-are/about-the-love-bus.html  In honor of Matthew Boyd (12/6/2006 – 10/30/2021)