Dear Mary Hogan School and the Middlebury Community,
It is with heartfelt gratitude and sincere appreciation that I write to thank everyone for the “Dining for Matt” evening held on May 13 at Mary Hogan School. We are overwhelmed with the generosity of our colleagues, friends and neighbors.
Our lives changed forever on Feb. 27 when our son Matt was paralyzed in a ski accident at Alpine Meadows in California. We have faced many difficult days, as Matt has recovered from multiple surgeries, spent four months in a spinal cord rehabilitation hospital, and adjusted to his new life in a wheelchair.
At times, we have felt we were at the bottom of a hill that was too steep to even try to climb. The expenses associated with his injury have been challenging for our family and the sadness of what he has lost difficult to face. The support of our friends, family, neighbors, peers, and even strangers has kept us afloat in our ocean of grief and helped us accept and embrace the new life Matt will live. A life that will be full and happy thanks to his attitude and the support of our town.
We are fortunate to be a part of the Middlebury community and to have benefited from your generous donations. Special thanks to Patti Crosby, Mary Gill, Susan Pratt, Alyce Schermerhorn, LynnDee Dayton, Sarah Niebuhr and Xavieria Atkins for leading and organizing “Dining for Matt” — thanks also to Middlebury College and to all the many volunteers who helped. We will be forever grateful.
Marion and John Leonard
Cornwall