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Matthew Zachary
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Matthew Zachary was a 21-year old college senior and concert pianist en route to film school when he lost use of his left hand, was diagnosed with pediatric brain cancer (medulloblastoma) and told he'd likely never perform again. Fifteen years, four albums, a wife, twin children and scores of concerts later, Matthew's struggle to get busy living has inspired countless thousands. Today, he is an award-winning recording artist and performer, as well as an accredited thought-leader in public health, an authority on youth culture and a highly credentialed public speaker. A founding member of the Google Health Advisory Council, in 2007 he launched the I'm Too Young For This! Cancer Foundation, which has since become the nation's largest support community for young adults affected by cancer. The foundation was ranked a TIME Magazine Best 50 website and FOX News Top 10 Healthcare Blog and supports a global following of hundreds of thousands of friends, fans, readers, listeners and members. Matthew has helped to bring the cause of 'cancer under 40' to the national spotlight and has rallied a new crop of activists to give a much needed voice to this forgotten population. Matthew has helped to measurably reverse 30 years of disparity and create social lasting change in how the public relates to cancer for the next generation.

Blog Entries by Matthew Zachary

FMLA & Beer Pong: Social Media Is the Cause of -- And Solution To -- All of Life's Problems

Posted January 6, 2012 | 16:37:34 (EST)

21st Century Suggestion: Do not post photos of yourself on Facebook (FB) vacationing with your family in Cabo when you are disability leave from your job. Additionally, if you happen to be applying for a job, applying to school, applying for a financial assistance grant or any other "put yourself...

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Young Adult Cancer Gets Its Hollywood Closeup: My Review of the Film 50/50

Posted September 16, 2011 | 15:01:12 (EST)

Having supported and promoted nearly a dozen advanced screenings of this film, and hearing scores of personal reviews from within our community, I went in with as clear and objective a conscience as possible.

As a young adult cancer survivor and national young adult cancer patient advocate, dozens of scrutinizing...

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Childhood Cancer's Forgotten Moral Imperative

Posted April 24, 2011 | 18:19:33 (EST)

I am a pediatric brain cancer survivor.

Unlike every other age group over 18, pediatric cancer is unique because clinical care is based on an age range first and disease type second. On average, 5-year survival rates have skyrocketed from less than 10 percent in the 1950s to 85...

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Marcia! Marcia! Marcia!

Posted June 2, 2009 | 18:40:33 (EST)

So the new hotness in cancer care is young adults affected by cancer, aged 15-39. Why? Because survival rates have not improved in 30 years (source: NCI, Closing The Gap) and, for the large part, *all* of the strides, progress and advancements we've made since Elvis died do not benefit...

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The Taking Tree: Late Effects Are Teh Awesome

Posted May 26, 2009 | 17:05:53 (EST)

On March 28th, 2007 I went spontaneously deaf in my left ear. Yes. it apparently can happen just like that. It's called Sudden Onset Sensory Neural Healing Loss and it happens every day, mostly to old people. Evidently, the cochlea just wakes up and decides to stop working.

It was...

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The Cost of Living: No Cure for Cancer

Posted July 12, 2007 | 18:17:00 (EST)

Life is about choice.

Remission is not a cure.

Survivorship is all the rage.

Why we fight ...

I was 11 years old the first time I sat down at a piano and asked my mother, "Where do you put your fingers?" She showed me a simple five-note...

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