Community Wraps Arms Around Young Family Of Man Battling Cancer

AQUEBOGUE, NY — The community has wrapped its arms around Matthew Rolle, a young Aquebogue father diagnosed in 2018 with cancer of the liver and colon. Recently, Rolle's wife Haley gave an update on her husband's battle. "This is once again not an easy one to write," she said.

While Matt had been doing fairly well over the last couple of months, there were a lot of up and downs, "which is very discouraging and frustrating," she said.

"Over the last few weeks, he’s been having neck and upper back pain and an increase in his bilirubin levels. A scan from about a month ago showed the cancer back in his liver, his lung, some lymph nodes, and his adrenal gland. His tumor marker continues to increase significantly. After meeting with his oncologist this afternoon, she doesn’t think he has much more time, based on his lab numbers and increasing symptoms," Haley said.

The oncologist told them that most people in her husband's situation — with liver failure and extremely poor liver function numbers — only live a few weeks, Haley said. "So it’s pretty amazing that he’s been fighting this for a few months now. She said the cancer is progressing rapidly as his body is not in a position to fight it anymore and he is not able to receive any type of treatments."

Their family, which includes their son Clayton and 11-month-old daughter Lylah, is spending precious time over the holidays, making memories at a tree farm and sharing videos of their baby's first steps.

"We have decided to continue with in-home hydration and tube feeds to try and make it through Christmas and the kids’ birthdays," Haley said. "After that, we will most likely transition him to hospice to make him as comfortable as possible. This is an extremely difficult time for all of us. We ask that instead of calling, texting, or asking to visit with him, that you write a letter for him to read or for me to read to him. It can be anything: a memory, a joke, a little inspiration. Obviously, with COVID on the rise again, we have to be extremely cautious, so I thought this was the best way of letting people share a few thoughts or stories with him."

If interested, please mail letters and cards to: Matthew Rolle, 224 Church Ln., Riverhead, NY 11901.

"Thank you as always for being on this rollercoaster ride with us," Haley said. "Everyone’s support and prayers never go unnoticed and we are forever grateful for all of you!"

The community has gathered together to support the Rolles in their time of need. A GoFundMe, "Go To Bat For Matt" was created by Wendy Broome Willumsen. A portion of proceeds from a holiday raffle and a dinner raffle organized by Darla Doorhy and Kait's Angels will benefit Rolle and his family. Handmade masks created by North Fork Quilter are being sold at Santa's Christmas Tree Farm LI on weekends only, with a portion of proceeds to benefit Rolle, Doorhy said.

A meal train has also been created for Rolle, filling up quickly as friends and neighbors reach out to help.

And that outpouring of love means everything, Haley said, who had a message for the community this week.

"It’s going to sound cliché, but the first thing that comes to mind is: 'Thank you.' Thank you for the meals that allow our family to spend quality time together, instead of having to worry about cooking and cleaning. Thank you for the thoughtful letters and cards that bring back so many wonderful memories. Thank you for the gifts for Clayton and Lylah; a simple thing that brings so much joy and happiness to their faces. Thank you for a much-needed glass of wine at the end of a long day. Thank you for offering to bring Matt to a doctor’s appointment, walk the dog, change a dirty diaper, or clean the dishes. Everything that anyone has offered to do has meant so much to our entire family."

She added: "The kindness and willingness to help that has been shown throughout our battle these last three years has been something hard to put into words. It has allowed us to enjoy and create memories together as a family. Whether it be a visit from the Lions Club with Santa, a softball and cornhole event to spend time with friends, or a simple homemade meal dropped off to our front door. The kindness of everyone’s donations through the GoFundMe have allowed us to not have to worry about medical bills or time away from work. It has allowed us to be prepared for what the future holds and to make sure our children are secure as they grow older.

Every act of kindness never goes unnoticed. We are forever grateful for this amazing community we live in where people, even strangers, go out of their way to make sure you feel like family — with unconditional love and support."

To donate to the GoFundMe, click here.

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