Former firefighter making slow progress from rare disorder
Jan. 7—COURTLAND — A man who once fought fires and made machinery still can't feel his hands or feet.
Two years after a stem cell transplant, Brandon Matter is able to walk again with braces.
But the Courtland man still is facing a long road to full recovery from a rare blood disorder.
"It's slow but there's progress," said the former Courtland firefighter.
His firefighter friends on Saturday are hosting a long-delayed fundraiser to aid the Matter family with medical bills and lost income.
The benefit was originally planned for April 2020 but was canceled as the pandemic took hold. There were several tentative rescheduled dates over the past year, but they too were postponed as they happened to coincide with coronavirus case spikes, said firefighter Chris Dauer, one of the benefit organizers.
They decided not to cancel again on Saturday. Matter is hoping to make a brief appearance but will have to limit contact with well-wishers.
Matter still has to take extra precautions following a stem cell transplant followed by chemotherapy in early 2020.
"It basically wiped out my immune system," said the father of four.
The transplant was to treat POEMS syndrome — a rare blood disorder with no known cause that damages nerves and other parts of the body.
The disease quickly left Matter with numbness and weakness in his extremities. For months he could not care for himself or be left alone.
The disease is now in remission, but Matter said doctors told him it could be up to five years before his nerves regenerate.
He has regained some sensation in his hands. His feet are still numb but he can walk again with leg braces.
"I have one speed: slow," he said.
Matter has regained some independence but has not been able to return to the Fire Department or to work. He had worked as a machinist, fabricator and project manager. He also operates a hobby farm and his four children have taken over those duties.
As someone who was "always busy," Matter said his mobility limitations have been challenging both physically and mentally. When he's bored or discouraged, he calls his firefighter friends.
Dauer says he always picks up the call and expects Matter will have a wisecrack or entertaining tale for him because he hasn't lost his sense of humor through his ordeal.
The benefit and answering phone calls aren't the only ways the firefighters have supported Matter. They acquired and installed for him a stair lift and physical therapy parallel bars and raised money to get him an ATV to get around his farm.
Brandon Matter benefit
When: 2-6 p.m. Saturday
Where: Courtland Community Center, 300 Railroad St.
Details: Pork riblet meal, silent auction and live music from The Misfits Band. Donations accepted.
