Dedham High grads hold Bat for Matt fundraiser for injured friend

A few weeks ago he wasn’t sure if he would ever walk again, but on Thursday Matt Burns was soaring.
The recently graduated Dedham High senior faced the fear of being paralyzed from the neck down after a diving accident at a friend’s pool sent him to the hospital on July 23.

On Thursday, Aug. 11, however, Matt Burns was all smiles.
Four of his friends — Bobby Fish, Cam Clifford, Kevin Boudrow and Tommy Connolly, all from Dedham — put together a Wiffle ball tournament in his honor. Burns made a rare trip off of the campus of Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital in Boston to watch.
Two of the more than 20 teams that participated took home prizes, but Matt Burns and his family were the real winners. All of the proceeds of registration and food sales went directly into his recovery fund.

Beyond the money, Matt Burns said the support of his friends was helping him to make a full recovery.
Matt Burns, his twin brother Chris and his mother Gail all came to Fairbanks Field on Rustcraft Road for the tournament. Chris threw the first pitch of the day to Mark Whalen of Needham Bank, the sole sponsor of the tournament.

Seated in a motorized wheelchair, Matt Burns expressed his gratitude.

“As hard as this is, support from all of you has made it easier,” Matt Burns said. “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. I plan to make a full recovery.”

Matt Burns planned to attend Bryant University in Rhode Island in the fall, but has pushed back his acceptance to January while he recovers.

Between receiving hugs and encouragement on the sunny day — the perfect day for a ball game — Gail Burns said she did not realize how great the Dedham community truly is.

“I knew talking to parents how upset their children were after the accident, and they wanted to do something,” Gail Burns said.
She estimated about half of her son’s graduating class had visited him in the hospital and she attributed his recovery to the support of his friends.

Hearing about the accident the night it took place was a nightmare, she said. She got no sleep for about 40 hours as doctors performed surgery on Matt Burns. At the outset, they had not been hopeful he would be able to walk again.
Through the recovery process, which involves many hours of physical therapy every day, Matt Burns has stayed positive, his mom said.

“He hopes to be a role model,” she said.

For the four boys who organized the tournament, they could not have been happier with the event, which drew nearly 100 participants.
“Matt knows we’re here for him,” Cam Clifford said.

Shortlink: