Falcon wrestler avoids takedown after rare disorder

Back in August, Foothill junior Brian Matthews was looking forward to picking up his driver’s license, and wrestling in the state tournament.

Now, after an uncommon medical condition nearly took him down for good, Matthews is just happy to be able to walk.

While house-sitting for his grandmother Sept. 18, the Falcons wrestler felt his arm tingle. The sensation spread to his foot and, thinking he just needed to walk it off, tried to stand up.

That’s when the right side of his body fell limp, and he hit the floor, striking his head on a nearby table. His sister rushed him to St. Rose Dominican Hospital, where he underwent a battery of tests and then was advised to head to Sunrise Hospital.

At Sunrise, his diagnosis was startling — the 16-year-old had suffered a stroke.

Doctors diagnosed Matthews with Moyamoya disease, a rare condition that blocks the main blood vessels serving the brain from pumping blood into the skull.

Foothill coach Bill Smales couldn’t see his wrestler ever stepping foot on the mat again.

“I was shocked,” Smales said. “I knew then that Brian wasn’t going to wrestle again, ever.”

But Matthews has more than made it back, and has received medical clearance to begin working out to try to qualify for the state tournament for the second straight year.

The 160-pound wrestler arrived at Stanford Medical Center in mid-November for two surgeries that would correct the condition. His aunt helped him contact Dr. Gary Steinberg, a pioneering physician in the field of intracranial vascular malformations, as well as Moyamoya disease.

“(Steinberg) has done over 700 of these surgeries and never had an unsuccessful surgery,” Matthews said.

Doctors drilled holes into both sides of his skull to eliminate pressure in the brain-feeding arteries and bypass the blockage.

Matthews spent 36 hours in the intensive care unit. His doctors said most patients afflicted with Moyamoya lose certain motor or neurological functions, but Matthews’ case was different. Less than a month after his second surgery, he retained full use of his body and was cleared to begin training to wrestle on Dec. 26.

“They said I was a pretty blessed man,” Matthews said. “I was in the hospital with hundreds of victims, and a lot of them had to learn how to talk again, learn how to eat again, (or) learn how to go to the bathroom again. It was really sad.”

Although it’s possible Matthews had suffered at least one stroke prior to September, his doctors said his physical condition likely hid symptoms of Moyamoya.

“You have four arteries that run up the neck, and two of (mine) were completely blocked up; there was no blood flow,” Matthews said, adding doctors told him, “It’s been that way for 10 years, but because I was so active and in sports my whole life, I grew collateral arteries.’’

When his main arteries became clogged. Matthews said he grew tiny arteries that allowed some blood flow to his brain.

“One of the collaterals snapped and caused the bleeding, and that triggered the stroke,” he said.

Matthews has been involved in various sports since his parents signed him up to play soccer at age 4. He also was a lineback on the Foothill football squad.

His enhanced conditioning helped his son recover quicker than others afflicted with Moyamoya, said his father, Tod Matthews.

“(Paralysis) didn’t even make it all the way up to his face,” Tod Matthews said. “He had physical therapy, and I guess with the will and the want, he was up and out of bed with a walker in four days, and within seven days, he was walking on his own, with the help of a splint on his leg. ... He was walking, hobbling around Sunrise pediatric ward (after having the stroke), making laps.

“I said, 'What are you doing, just stumbling along the wall?’ and he said, 'I’m walking out of here. I’m getting out of here.’ ”

Through various fundraisers, the Foothill community has raised about $1,400 to help with the family’s medical bills, Matthews said.

The wrestling team also set up the “Pin 4 Brian” program, donating $2 to the Matthews family for every pin a Foothill wrestler posts during the season. Fans and other members of the community can also pledge a certain amount for each pin, which will go toward Matthews’ recovery.

“It’s not just about wrestling; it’s about helping your teammates, being there for them, supporting them,” Smales said. “If we can make some money and build that team bond, keep Brian a part of our family, which he is, then that’s all positive stuff.”

For Smales, the most rewarding part for the program isn’t the financial benefit it could give the Matthews family — although with medical bills that total more than $100,000, the contributions will certainly be welcome.

“When he’s around, we seem to perform a little better,” Smales said. “I use him as an example in the room. I tell them, 'You guys think you have it tough, look what Brian’s been through. Be thankful you have what you have, that you have a chance to compete in this sport, because Brian would be grateful just to be there.’ ”

The Falcons also have named Matthews a team captain, even after junior Sean Miller and senior Chad Orum had been selected.

Matthews plans to make it back to the state tournament in February, but no matter where he ends up on the mat, his father says it won’t compare with what he’s already accomplished.

“Every time he is able to step on the mat from here forward or do anything in life, it’s a bonus,” Tod Matthews said. “Before all this happened, I don’t think (his son facing a serious medical ordeal) ever could’ve been possible. We’re just grateful for how far we’ve come since he had the stroke until now. The things they were telling us, we weren’t sure if he’d ever have a normal life.”