Update: Author Helps Students Celebrate"Matthew’s Collection"

Local author, Karen Dugan visited excited Kindergarten through fourth-grade students at  capping off the week of voting in which her book “Always Blue for Chicu” was voted school favorite.

Dugan, although born and graduated from Parson’s School of Design in New York City, presently lives in North Attleboro. Her book “Always Blue for Chicu,” the adventures of an Amazon parrot captured by exotic bird smugglers, will join the hundreds of other books donated by the family of . Matthew died after losing an 18-month battle with brain cancer. 

“Karen Dugan was very gracious and the students were so excited to see the actual author as well as find out the winner of the book election,” Matthew's mother Linda McGowan said. 

Participating in an authentic election is required in the Massachusetts State Curriculum Standards, but in addition to learning about ballots, voting booths and the voting process, students have learned a more powerful lesson.

They participated in commemorating the life of a former student and experienced first hand how the McGowan family continues to celebrate Matthew’s life and the way loved to give to others by the donation of books in his name to the school library. They have learned the importance of  never forgetting the people in their lives that have passed away.

Here is a what the McGowan family wrote in memory of Matthew: 

Everyone who knew Matthew, knew what a special and wonderful person he was. He was full of life and left a positive impression on everyone he met. He loved sports and could kick, hit, throw and run harder and faster than any child we knew. Many adult family and friends would go out to the yard to play ball with him thinking they had to "take it easy" with him because he was a kid. Only to come back in exhausted and complaining that they had to give their all just to keep up with him.

Matthew was equally good at academics, especially math (must have got that from his dad). He was also very funny and could make anyone laugh with his crazy imitations and voices. Even throughout his illness he maintained his sense of humor. When the steroids he was on gave him an insatiable appetite, he nicknamed his stomach Fillmore (the name of his favorite character from the movie Cars), because his stomach was always telling him to "fill more" into it. He even came up with a new menu plan that included breakfast, lunch, dinner, and linner, a combination of lunch and dinner, so he could get another meal in.

But perhaps what we'll remember most about Matthew is how loving and caring he was. From an early age Matthew seemed to have a sensitivity well beyond his years. He always cared about other people's feelings and would give you "the shirt off his back" if he thought it would help. When he was in preschool he made a Christmas list for the first time all by himself. Matthew only had a few items on his list and one of them was a diamond ring. When we asked him why he wanted a ring, he explained that he wanted Santa to bring it for mom.

In kindergarten, an assignment asked students to write what they would do if they had $100, Matthew wrote that he would use the money to "buy things for everybody". Another assignment asked what students liked to do on a snow day. Matthew didn't choose sledding or building a snowman, he said he liked shoveling out mom and dad's cars. He always loved to help out whenever he could.

Even when he was sick, he never stopped thinking of others. Last winter he started a collection for the "poor". He put all of his own money into a bucket and would actively solicit donations from anyone who came in the house. When it was full he gave the money to Father DiOrio's ministry to help the less fortunate. Whenever Matthew had to stay over at the hospital, Matthew would always order cake if they had it as a dessert choice. Matthew didn't even like cake but his sister Miranda did. So he would always order it and put it aside for her when she came to visit.

Matthew loved cars. He had hundreds of Matchbox cars and knew and loved every one of them. As much as he cherished his collection, he would always give one away for someone's birthday. He would ask them what their favorite color was and then spend several minutes searching for just the right one in the person's favorite color choice. The last night before Matthew went into the hospital for his final stay, he was having a very difficult time moving and speaking. But he was excited because his Uncle Mikey was coming over to watch a New England Revolution soccer game. It was also the week of Uncle Mikey's birthday and Matthew was determined not to forget it. He used all his strength to fingerspell (he was now using a keyboard to do most of his communication), "What is Uncle Mikey's favorite color?" We immediately knew what he was up to. We called Michael to find out what his favorite color was and then we pulled out several blue cars so Matthew could pick just the right one to give his uncle.

That was Matthew, giving and strong until the very end. In his short life he had to endure and go through more than most adults, and he did it all courageously.