Paul was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma in September of 2006. He was on a kayaking trip in August when he started experiencing severe back pain. Within 3 weeks he was hospitalized with four compressed vertebrae and renal failure. A team of doctors responded quickly. They were able to save his kidneys and knock down the cancer so that he could have a stem cell transplant. Since then, the Myeloma remains as aggressive as its? onset, and requires continual maintenance. Paul does not let these cancerous plasma cells affect his life style. He loves life and people, and embraces each day with hope and enthusiasm.

Paul graduated from Bucknell University with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. He is currently employed by NAES.  He has worked in power plants for over 30 years. In addition to this he volunteers his time to support the engineering field.  Paul has held various positions in the ASME Power Division, and remains a supporting leader in this and other engineering groups. 

Paul has volunteered his time for more than 20 years as a trombone player in the Citizens Hose Co. Band of Smyrna DE, and over the last several years with the Milford Community Band, and Smooth Sound Dance Band.  He is a member of St. Peters Episcopal Church of Smyrna, DE.

When Paul is not volunteering he enjoys spending time with his friends and family, especially his wife Martha.  Together, they work as a team sailing the Chesapeake on their Catalina, Tern About Time.  And when the wind isn?t blowing, they love to venture in their kayaks, camp in the Adirondacks, go scuba diving, travel, and experience new adventures.

In the last 5 years, Paul and Martha have educated themselves about this blood cancer. Through the outreach of the LLS, they have met other patients and heard their stories about living with Multiple Myeloma.  Medical advances have occurred since Paul?s diagnosis, but not all patients are lucky.  Hope comes from supporting the scientists, the doctors, and the organizations that dedicate themselves to assisting patients and families.  Working together, there is more assurance that they will find a cure for Multiple Myeloma. 

---

 Matthew Hayes

Matthew is a very intelligent, outgoing and beautiful 6 year old little boy.  His favorite color is blue and he loves anything that has to do with the outdoors.  He loves to ride his bike, play baseball and go to the park just to name a few things.  He was a miracle from the very beginning.  After 16 years of trying to have a child, we were thrilled in Feb. of 2004 to learn we would soon realize our dream of being parents.  Although Matthew was due  on Oct. 22nd, he had his own plans and was born 2 months early,  on Aug. 14, 2004.  He weighed a mere 2 lbs. 14 oz. and was only 15 ½ ?long. He was so very tiny but he was absolutely beautiful.  He stayed in the NICU for 52 very long days while we waited for him to grow.  He made it through infancy and toddlerhood with only a few infections and only 2 major illnesses. In late March of 2007 he began to run a low grade fever without any other symptoms.  He also seemed to have a lot of bruises on his legs but we thought that was typical of a 2 year old who was running all over the place.  However, anytime he got a fever I took him to the Dr?s.   His pediatrician ordered blood work immediately. On April 2nd his pediatrician called and stated that either the lab messed up again or at the very least Matthew was severely anemic.   He said we needed to get him up to A.I. DuPont Hospital for Children that afternoon.  He was in the process of calling the doctor there to have him admitted. The admission process was an ordeal for my little one.  He was so anemic they had to poke him several times in order to get an IV started.   He had very little blood to give up but they finally got enough for their labs.  That night our world was rocked off its foundation and forever changed when we were told that our precious miracle baby had Leukemia.  The next day they did a bone marrow aspiration to confirm the type of Leukemia.  On April 4th we were given the official diagnosis of Acute Lymphocytic (or Lymphoblastic) Leukemia, pre B-cell. Our world suddenly became all about the hospital, labs, infusions of red blood cells and platelets and too many drugs to name.   Just a few days later, our little boy who just two weeks earlier cried at the very site of his pediatricians? office, now willingly offered the nurses his leg so they could take his blood pressure. We learned a new ?normal? way of life.  We constantly washed our hands, kept him away from crowds, didn?t allow anyone who was sick to get anywhere near him and wiped down every single toy he received with a disinfectant. I learned to read his lab reports and pronounce his meds and in short became his full time nurse. We were told his chances of being ?cured? were good and they were hoping to get him into remission in 4 weeks.  A mere 17 days after he was diagnosed he achieved remission!  He has been through so much and endured ?peg? shots into his little legs like a warrior.  He had a med-a-port inserted into his chest to make it easier on him for them to get blood and give him meds.  He called it his magic button.    He endured countless trips to the Clinic for treatmentand always had a smile on his face.  On Jan. 9, 2008 his ?magic button? was removed and he began getting IV?s in his hands when we made the monthly trips for his IV chemo.  Outside of the first couple of times, he handled those like a warrior as well.  He always watched the nurse stick him and was able to sit there calmly while she did so. He endured 38 months of treatment and most of that time he received daily oral chemotherapy drugs. He finished his chemo treatments on June 6, 2010!!  As of Aug. 6, 2010 he no longer has to take any medications on a routine basis.  He still goes to the Clinic on a monthly basis for labs and an exam.  He has an excellent prognosis and we are very thankful.  God has looked after our boy and we know he will do great things with his life. Throughout his ordeal, Matthew never lost his smile or his love of life.  He accepted the changes we had to make and for the most part willingly went along with them.  As his parents we have watched our baby mature into a caring, sympathetic and empathetic little boy.  We would have given anything for him to not have had to go through this experience but he has come out stronger for it.  He has a wisdom and understanding most kids his age do not have. He still has a long road ahead of him and we will forever be on the lookout for any long term side effects of the drugs he?s had to take.  We look forward to being able to spend many more years with him and to watch him grow into a young man.  We could not be more proud of him!
~Cheryl Hayes, Matthew?s Mother

Joy Nichols

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Interested in learning more about Light The Night's Hero Program? Contact Jessica Holland at Jessica.Holland@lls.org or by phone at 302-661-7300 ext. 26 today.