Monday, December 2, 2024
A fundraiser will be held at Mulcahy’s Pub and Concert Hall in Wantagh on Nov. 13 for Matthew Brolly, nearly four years after a skiing accident left the 27-year-old Seaford resident living with partial quadriplegia.
Brolly’s friends and family expressed hope that by organizing the event, they could raise enough money for him to receive the treatment that would improve his quality of life.
Kerry Wolfson, a family friend of the Brollys for 30 years, said that Matthew is like a nephew to her, and she hopes the community will come out to the fundraiser to support him.
“Every single bit of help that they can get is appreciated by the family,” Wolfson said, “and it’s necessary, because it’s a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week job to take care of him right now, because he is bedridden.”
The accident, which happened in March 2021, left Brolly with an injury to his spinal cord and partial paralysis in his hands and legs. According to Matthew’s mother, Doreen, he has movement in his right leg, but no feeling, while his left leg has feeling but no movement.
Brolly showed some improvement in the months following his injury, and he worked hard at physical therapy, regaining some movement and control of his right leg, his mother added.
However, 10 months after the accident, in January 2022, Brolly felt an intense pain in his right leg, and he was diagnosed with complex regional pain syndrome, also known as CRPS, a chronic condition usually triggered by injury or surgery, causing intense, persistent pain, often with swelling and skin sensitivity. Since his diagnosis, the pain has progressed, leaving Brolly bedridden.
“Since February, I haven’t even been able to leave my bed,” Brolly said, “so I’m slowly losing every kind of fun thing to do, but I’ve been able to stay positive through it.”
Brolly’s mother said they tried different procedures to help him, such as ketamine and a spinal cord stimulator, but the degree of his injury and the CRPS has made it difficult to recover.
Searching for an alternative, Brolly’s family discovered the Spero Clinic, a holistic facility in Fayetteville, Arkansas, that specializes in treating patients with CRPS. Patients at the facility undergo an 18-week program that helps to rehabilitate the central nervous system. According to the clinic’s website, “around 84 percent of patients reported a significant reduction or elimination of CRPS pain after the program.”
Doreen said the program is expensive, around $50,000, and is not covered by insurance, which is why the Brolly family is hosting the fundraiser.
Doreen said her son cannot get out of bed and can only move his right leg, which is in constant pain. He said he finds it difficult to sleep because the pain wakes him up throughout the night. He has a body pillow to help prop him up and is dependent on his family for help.
“It’s hard watching my family be upset,” Brolly said, “and now, with the CRPS, I’m relying more on them.”
Brolly said his main goal is to just try and get through the day, one day at a time. He keeps himself entertained by spending time with family and making others laugh. He noted that he always tries to find something to look forward to, such as watching Mets and Rangers games, to help him get through the day.
For Brolly, seeing the support from the community following his injury has been tremendous, whether it’s a friend that checks up on him or a family member that stops by to see if he needs any help.
“It’s really difficult to get through it without the support,” he said, “so the support means a lot. Just knowing they’re there, it’s enough at times.”
Growing up in Seaford, Brolly enjoyed playing sports, his mother said, adding that he was active in hockey, football and baseball. Brolly said he has remained positive throughout his recovery, and his mother hopes for him to one day be able to enjoy sports again.
“He really tried to fight through it, and this condition overtook his body,” Doreen said. “I know if he has relief from this, he will get back to doing those things he loved so much.”
