Boy with Stage 4 Cancer Gives His Make-A-Wish Gift to His Doctor

By Sarah Carri May 9, 2019 at 2:57pm

“Remember this — that by the stripes of Jesus you are already healed.” These are the words spoken by Dionne Gould to her son, Matthew.

When the Gould family learned Matthew had stage four T-cell leukemia in 2016, the young man was just 13 years old.

The diagnosis came as a shock. “I didn’t expect cancer would actually happen to me,” Matthew explained to Inside Edition.

From paralysis due to chemotherapy to learning to walk again, the road has been rough for Matthew and his family.

His mom recalled watching her son suffer, expressing her pain through tears. Dionne says she was his “voice.”

Determination kept Matthew going. Soon the time came for Matthew to “make a wish” through the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

But rather than ask for a trip to Disney World, Matthew wanted a wish that would go much further than a meet-and-greet with Mickey Mouse.

Ryan Summers is Matthew’s doctor. Summers has been researching childhood cancer in hopes of finding a cure.

With the help of Make-A-Wish and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Matthew was able to give Dr. Summers $5,000 toward his research. The now 16-year-old even got to sign his name to the giant check.

“I decided if I could somehow help other people, that would be a wish for me, that would make me happy,” Matthew told Inside Edition.

According to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, around 175,000 children under the age of 14 are diagnosed with cancer around the world each year.

We need more hearts like Matthew Gould’s. His unselfish act has contributed to helping others. Nothing could be more priceless than that.

If you had the chance to make a difference with any wish you wanted, what would you do? Perhaps young Matthew has inspired you, as he has no doubt inspired so many others.

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Tags:

Cancer, Children, Faith, Inspiration, Uplifting

Sarah Carri

Contributor, Lifestyle

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Sarah Carri is an avid reader and social media guru with a passion for truth and life. Her writing has previously been published in print and online by Focus on the Family and other well known media outlets. Her experience in ministry and Disney entertainment gives her a unique perspective on such topics.

Sarah's experience as a successful working stay-at-home mom and business owner has given her the chance to write and research often. She stays up to date on the latest in entertainment and offers her views on celebrity stories based on her wide knowledge of the industry. Her success as a former preschool teacher and licensed daycare provider lend to her know-how on topics relating to parenting and childhood education.

Her thoughts on faith and family issues stem from home life and ministry work. Sarah takes time to attend workshops and classes annually that help her to improve and hone her writing craft. She is a graduate of the Institute of Children's Literature program and her writing has been acclaimed by ACFW and ECPA.

Education

Institute of Children's Literature, Art Institute of Phoenix (Advertising), University of California Irvine (Theater), Snow College (Early Childhood Education)

Location

Arizona

Languages Spoken

English

Topics of Expertise

Entertainment, Faith