Aspire to Inspire: Michael Matthews Story

TomIsaacson

theory11 artist
I thought I would share a link to this video that takes you through the the life of one of my best friends.

2 years ago I met Michael at the Magic Apple in Studio City- he wasn't part of the "magic scene" but he loved magic and was heavily into photography and film making. His physical appearance was evident that he had some sort of treatment that he was undergoing. Come to find out he was just in remission from a few months of intensive chemotherapy. He had been diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma earlier that year.

Somebody my age- just like me- that had their whole future, hopes and health in front of them; and it was almost taken away. He had fought it hard- and was just out of the hospital when I first met him. That was October 31st, 2007. That was also the day I went home, started playing with my "Hundy" packet- and came up with Prophet. We stayed close for a while- always working on new ideas, filming, hitting the clubs- watchin him pick up girls like nobodies business.

Toward the beginning of the summer he started to disappear from the radar. He was busy with projects from what I knew- but ever slow slowly he was out of contact. It wasn't until the end of September that I found out what happened. Less than a year after he had been released, the cancer came back. And this time it was worse. He was hospitalized again, had a list of ungodly amount of medical procedures performed to keep him alive.

He called me up to meet for sushi to tell me the story. He's not the kind of person to seek sympathy or petty feelings for the stuff he was going through- he didn't want to bother the world with his disease. He didn't want his problem to bring other people down. While that's a remarkably humble trait to find in someone who has undergone such an ordeal, I knew part of it was that he didn't want to be seen in his weakest state.

But sometimes its in our weakest that we find strength and others can find it too.

http://media.theory11.com/2590

TI
 

Andrei

Elite Member
Sep 2, 2007
439
24
35
Las Vegas
www.youtube.com
Amazing story. It's really touching and amazingly powerful. Michael seems like a very talented magician and I hope all goes well, best of wishes man.

-Andrei Jikh
 

j.bayme

ceo / theory11
Team member
Jul 23, 2007
2,848
352
New York City
Speechless. It's stuff like this that - from time to time - reminds us why we do magic to begin with. This video did that for me - truly special thanks to Michael for allowing us to post this tonight and to TI for sharing the story. Wow.
 
So inspiring. I wish I could say more, but the video really says it all, I think.

RS.

What an amazing story. All comments above are true, and i tottally agree with them.
I was hospitilized myself, and without a a doubt it was magic that got my through.

Seeing all the children's faces when they saw the spongeball appear in their hand...
THats magic!

Take care!
Aron Prins
 

RickEverhart

forum moderator / t11
Elite Member
Sep 14, 2008
3,637
471
46
Louisville, OH
Outstanding story and glad it was shared with me. Nice way to start my day at work and remind me of the little things in life that we all take for granted.

I wish the best as well.
 

jonraiker

vp of development
Team member
Aug 5, 2007
1,330
24
Florida
instagram.com
Incredible story of courage and strength - 'inspiring' doesn't do it justice. Huge thanks to Tom and Michael for sharing this.
...sometimes its in our weakest that we find strength and others can find it too.
Words to live by.
 
Jun 2, 2008
134
0
Dallas, Texas
I find his story very powerful. It takes a great deal of strength to fight cancer and Im glad to know magic still carries foward in him. I lost one of my good friends to lukiemia this weekend. He gave it his all.
 

timsilva

Elite Member
Nov 18, 2007
404
43
California
timsilva.com
I realize I didn't make it clearer in my original post, but Michael has been cancer free for over a year now. While there are very few certainties in life, it is very hopeful at this point that the cancer will never return.

Wow, I misunderstood it the first time, but that's a good kind of mistake in this case.

I have a few people in my life who have fought or are fighting cancer. It's inspiring to hear success stories here and there. :)
 
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