Nurse who had cancer twice as a child celebrates year at children’s hospital oncology clinic

Matthew Sinclair was first diagnosed with cancer at just five. When it came back a second time, he had less than a 1 percent chance of surviving.

SAN ANTONIO — Before patients fill the Outpatient Hematology and Oncology Clinic on the seventh floor at the Children’s Hospital of San Antonio, Matthew Sinclair prepares for the buzz of patients heading his way.

“That’s what the parents and families always remember is those little details,” Sinclair said.

He, too, remembers those little details, while also dealing with something big.

“I had been sick for a number of weeks and didn’t really know what was going on,” Sinclair said. “I was having pain, bruising, easily to tiredness. probably saw every different doctor under the sun.”

At the young age of five, Sinclair was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia, also known as ALL. According to the Mayo Clinic, ALL is the most common type of cancer in children.

Sinclair began receiving treatment at Wilford Hall Medical Center in Lackland Air Force Base.

“I really no idea what cancer was even during my first procedures. I’m five, I don’t know these things,” Sinclair said.

After undergoing treatment for three years, then remission for another three, Sinclair began experiencing back pain. But the pain got worse. He received a bone scan, an MRI and blood tests, which confirmed the cancer had come back.

“I called my mother on her birthday, March 7, 1996. The day I’ll never forget,” Sinclair said. “Happy birthday, mom. That’s all I could say….because what else do you say when you find out that you’ve been all of this illness for so many years? You beat it, and now it’s back.”

This time, however, the cancer was back and more aggressive. He had less than a 1 percent chance of surviving. The hospital offered to conduct a bone marrow transplant. At the time, this was an experimental procedure for children. His family had to be tested to determine whether they would be a match for donation. 

His brother was a perfect match.

“On July 1st, 1996, I got my bone marrow transplant from my brother. They were stem cells. It literally is a giant tube, looked like…kind of grape-ish, pretty Kool-Aid and was given over a few minutes,” Sinclair said. “It was kind of anticlimactic to just push–these stem cells. It’s like ‘is that it?”

For the next 100 or so days, he continued to receive treatment.

“It was a running joke in the hospital that I was seen by every unit except OBGYN, because we were research, Sinclair recalls.

He also remembers the nurses who cared for him 26 years ago.

“Scott, who used to work here in this very clinic. And I still remember to this day….he would threaten to Tigger pounce me if I didn’t get out of bed and didn’t do my laps around the clinic,” Sinclair laughed.

Those nurses who helped him feel supported and loved also helping to pave the way in his own journey.

“Things like that inspired me to say, hey, this is what I want to do,” he said.

Sinclair has now been with the Children’s Hospital of San Antonio for about a year.

“I feel like I’m back home,” Sinclair said.

He can also provide care no one else can.

“I never try to downplay the experience or knowledge as all of the nurses have, but they’ve even told me that you have a different perspective, that we just can’t you can’t teach that kind of perspective.”

Because he knows what it’s like dealing with the marathon that is cancer, and understands the importance of having a good support system.

“It’s a team effort. No one can get through this alone,” Sinclair said.

Watch his full story in the video below: 

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texasstandard.news contributed to this report.

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