Cecil man wants to start local ‘Project Walk’ using own experience
Matthew Taylor talks with administrative assistant Jeanne Stacher at TRIPIL.
Matthew Taylor at his work station at TRIPIL in Washington
CECIL – Matthew Taylor wants to walk again, but shedding the wheelchair he has used for three years isn’t his only ambition.
He wants to help others with spinal cord injuries get back on their feet, too. The 26-year-old Cecil resident hopes to open a Pittsburgh branch of Project Walk, an intensive program for paralysis recovery. The closest branch is in Boston.
He and his twin sister, Katlyn Taueetia, received the stamp of approval from Project Walk’s higher-ups, but as is the case with most business ventures, it comes at a high cost – upward of $300,000. He is hoping he can use his personal story to attract corporate sponsors and investors.
Taylor was paralyzed Aug. 11, 2011, while swimming at Ocean City, Md. It was his first day at the beach with a group of friends, who traveled for a dek hockey tournament.
Within a few short hours, Taylor’s life changed dramatically. By some fluke, Taylor – a competitive swimmer – was swept up in a powerful wave and thrown headfirst into a sandbar.
When his parents received the fated call, they learned their son suffered a broken vertebrae and was in a coma. The chances of him ever walking again were slim to none, according to doctors.
But doctors at the University of Maryland Medical Center also said he would be hooked up to a breathing machine for two weeks. In reality, it was two days. And doctors said he would be in a coma for about four days, but Taylor awoke the next day, surrounded by his family.
“Pretty much a long nap,” he joked. “I’ve completely accepted if (not walking again) is my fate, but I’m going to try everything I can to keep moving on.”
Taylor since moved from his hometown of New Kensington to Cecil, where his father, John Taylor, owns Coleman-Taylor Funeral Services. He lives on his own and works for Tri-County Patriots for Independent Living in Washington, where he helps others with disabilities regain independence.
Taylor credits his family, Project Walk organizers and his teammates on a local wheelchair rugby league for helping him grow stronger.
After the accident, Taylor’s family held several fundraisers for him to attend Project Walk in Florida, which he described as an intense but worthwhile experience.
“The first time I stood up, I passed out for about 10 seconds because my blood pressure just plummeted, not standing for a year,” Taylor said. “It was rough, but they don’t let you stop. It’s a hard workout – definitely one of the hardest things I’ve done.”
Taylor regained control over muscles he could not previously use, but was not enrolled in the program long enough to see drastic results. The program is expensive and not covered by insurance.
He said more than half of the Project Walk participants he met regained function in their legs, despite being given a “no-chance” diagnosis.
Taylor discontinued his physical therapy because he already accomplished the basic exercises taught in standard programs. He also credited his rugby teammates for teaching him how to recover.
“When I met the rugby guys, I couldn’t transfer – get on and off the couch by myself,” Taylor said. “My mom would have to come over at 10 o’clock and put me to bed until I met those guys.”
The rugby team, which includes players in their 20s up to age 67, practices in Pittsburgh and plays in home tournaments at Slippery Rock. Taylor joked the team itself is “terrible,” but he considers it a social group that taught him important lessons.
“What I get out of it is more than rugby. It’s my life,” Taylor said. “I get training from guys who have been through it for 30 years.”
Taylor is also in the process of learning how to drive again and loves fishing, boating and camping.
“He does more than anybody else (in the family),” his father, John, said.
Kim Taylor said her son improved by “leaps and bounds” in his recovery.
“When we look at other people and they say how far he’s come, they tell us they didn’t do what he’s doing for six years, and he just reached his three-year mark,” she said. “He always sets goals for himself, and he reaches them.”