Matthew Jon Molinaro was born on June 6th, 1970. He was a normal child in every sense of the world. At the age of 21 months, we noticed a subtle change in his activity along with what appeared to us to be a swollen lower lip. Thanks to a miss diagnosis by the Danbury Hospital Emergency Room, weeks went by and his condition worsened. Knowing that something was seriously wrong with Matthew, we took him to see his pediatrician who gave us the bad news, Matthew had a dreaded childhood cancer, acute lymphocytic leukemia. At some point during the year, Matthew developed a rare skin condition that could not be treated locally. We had to take Matthew to the skin and cancer clinic at NYU for treatment every Wednesday for 9 months. Matthew suffered for years, undergoing chemotherapy, blood test after blood test, spinal tap after spinal tap, hair loss, weight gain followed by weight loss. When Matthew turned 7, he suffered a testicular relapse and had to have them removed. Matthew had his own room in the pediatric wing of the Danbury Hospital. The walls were festooned with cards from well wishers and the nursing staff would not allow them to be removed when he came home for a visit because they knew that he would be returning. When Matthew died on March 3rd, 1979, it seemed as if the entire town turned out to pay their respects. The Mayor, Don Boughton, even went on TV prior to the Common Council Meeting and told of Matthew's passing. It has been more than 50 years since Matthew's diagnosis and 40 years since his passing and still no cure for this childhood cancer has been found. Lets hope that with the help of the St. Baldrick's Foundation and the funds that they raise will eventually help find a cure for all childhood cancers.