RUMFORD — Rumford native Matthew Carrier marked his second year of being cancer-free and having no evidence of disease on Oct. 26 this year, he said.
Rumford native Matthew Carrier with his wife Abby live in Millington Tennessee. Carrier wrote a book “To Ring the Bell” about surviving cancer twice which he hopes will inspire and encourage others who are going through difficult times. He marked an important two-year cancer-free anniversary on Oct. 26. Submitted photo
“When you hit the two-year mark (of being cancer-free), the chances of it coming back decrease greatly,” Carrier said.
He said his surgeon from Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee, was “super excited and super happy about my progress.”
In a Sun Journal Face Time article published July 2, Carrier shared information about his book, “To Ring the Bell,” which he wrote to share his story about surviving cancer twice and which he hopes will inspire and encourage others who are going through difficult times.
His first bout of cancer was at 21 years old, when he was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Twenty years later, he was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma of his sinus.
Carrier lives in Millington, Tennessee, with his wife, Abby. He describes himself as “doing really good right now,” except for some “minor struggle with minor issues,” with his sinuses. He always tries to put his health issues into perspective “and I always try to think about what is my suffering compared to others.
“There is always someone that’s worse off than me, and I always think about those people, and I always pray for them, constantly. So, I’m grateful to be where I’m at, and every day I wake up with a heartbeat, (I think) God has a plan for me and and I’m excited to see what that is,” Carrier said.
He’s keeping up with his mission statement, “To encourage others through writing, conversations, and social media posts,” in various and meaningful ways, he said. For example, he’s working with a team at Baptist Cancer Center, located in his area, to provide a journal prompt for their monthly newsletter for cancer survivors.
Rumford native Matthew Carrier poses with his book “To Ring the Bell,” recently at his home in Tennessee. In his book he writes about surviving cancer twice and he seeks to inspire and encourage others who are going through difficult times. Carrier marked an important two-year cancer-free anniversary on Oct. 26, he said. Submitted photo
“It’s just an opportunity for some patients to kind of think and reflect on
different topics of cancer (and to) just get things on paper, so they don’t hold anything inside,” he explained.
He also participates in five online groups for people who have been affected by cancer. The group members communicate daily and offer advice and encouragement to help each other, he said.
Another project that he’s working on is to have his book “To Ring the Bell” as part of a local Tennessee high school’s English class lesson plans. “It’s still in the beginning stages, but the hope is to get my book inside a classroom where teachers and students can start using the multi-genre project as a learning tool; a teaching tool,” he said.
Sadly, one goal and part of his mission statement to meet in person with Jennifer, a cancer patient that he met online while he was sick, won’t happen. He recently found out that her health is worse, and she is going to hospice care, “which is really sad,” for her and everyone that knows and loves her.
To others who may be experiencing difficult times due to cancer and other illnesses, he says: “We all struggle, we all have our battles and it’s important to stay as positive as you can. Use your resources like family and friends because they can definitely help you get through some hard times.
“Staying positive is probably the most important thing,” Carrier said.
Look for Carrier’s book on Amazon or at Todd’s Discount Gifts in Mexico or This and That gift shop in Rumford.
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