March 26th, 2005

Welcome to Matt's Promise, our new website and our first newsletter!

As you can tell, we have been very busy working to realize Matt's dream of establishing a foundation that would outlive him and would help other young people who are suffering from colorectal cancer and other terminal illnesses. Matt's vision -- indeed his promise - was to make a positive and far-reaching difference in a world where too many young people are needlessly suffering from poor patient care and lack of adequate and affordable facilities.

We are so proud of what we have accomplished so far, but there is still so much work to be done. We hope you will enjoy reading about what we have been up to lately and every quarter we will update you on current events and news at Matt's Promise.

We look forward to hearing your feedback and ideas and we thank you for your support in keeping Matt's memory and Matt's Promise alive.

Jennifer Wiederkehr and the entire Advisory Board

In the March 7th issue of TIME magazine's online edition Matt was included in an article entitled, "Last Wishes: For some facing death, final fulfillment comes in works that will outlive them." The piece outlines that even though Matt had fatal colorectal cancer, his promise before dying was to make a difference in the lives of other cancer patients and young people living with terminal illnesses, thereby founding Matt's Promise before his death.

Totaling approximately 50 strong, Matt's Promise team was the #1 fundraiser at the Pfizer Oncology Colon Cancer Challenge on Sunday, March 13th in Central Park. Braving the cold, our team raised a total of $12,896, far exceeding our initial goal of $5,000. Funds raised support Partners in Prevention, a joint initiative of the Albert Einstein Cancer Center and Montefiore Medical Center, which is dedicated to reducing colorectal cancer incidence and death in metropolitan New York.

Colorectal cancer can take five to 15 years to develop. Early testing can increase the chances to successfully prevent and, in some cases, treat colorectal cancer. It is usually recommended that people start colorectal cancer screening at age 50. However, more than 13,000 colorectal cancer cases are diagnosed each year in people under the age of 50. If you have a family history of colorectal, breast, ovarian, uterine, cancer; colon polyps; inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn's disease; or ulcerative colitis), you should consult your physician about your personal risk factors and a screening schedule right for you. There are a number of tests that are currently available to screen for colorectal cancer: Colonoscopy, Virtual Colonoscopy, DNA-Based Stool Test, Sigmoidoscopy, Fecal Occult Blood Testing (FOBT) and Double Contrast Barium Enema. Talk to your doctor to find out what's best for you.

Contribute to Matt's Promise and help fulfill our mission of improving the patient-care and lives of young people affected by colorectal cancer and other terminal illnesses.

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We are currently planning summer and fall events to benefit Matt's Promise. We will be sending out "save the date" reminders soon so stay tuned!