Cancer survivor says his welcome-back celebration at school was a party for everyone
Steven Mattic might be the happiest man around who is living without a stomach.
Mattic, 41, the returning principal of David K. Sellars Elementary School in Fort Worth, dropped out of school in February to receive treatment for and recover from gastrointestinal cancer.
During a gathering Friday that was part pep rally, part Christmas give-away, Mattic and his students were visited by representatives from the Dallas Wings, the local WNBA (Women’s National Basketball Association) team, representatives from the offices of State Reps. Nicole Collier and Marc Veasey, a representative from the City of Forest Hill and local radio personalities from FM stations 97.9 and 94.5 gave away toys, tickets to the Crayola Experience and bicycles to the children.
It was the last day of school in 2019.
Mattic was supposed to still be in recovery, but he returned to his school on Dec. 12 to participate in a staff- and student-led food drive. The school will give away more than 5,000 cans of food during the holiday season to those in the community in need, Mattic said.
On Friday, Mattic, who has been principal at Sellars for seven years, announced that students and faculty at David K. Sellars collected the most canned goods of any school in the Fort Worth and the Dallas school districts.
“I came back as Elvis Presley,” Mattic said. “I told them Thursday that the king is back. My students and my school counselor, Patricia Hardy, she just has a big heart and the students really look forward to it. I came back to give them a sense of normalcy.”
Weeks of testing led up to the cancer diagnosis, Mattic said. First he was treated for gas and acid reflux and when that did not work, there were a barrage of tests, Mattic said. There were so many tests that his kidneys temporarily malfunctioned because of all the dye, Mattic said.
Doctors found an ulcer during one of those tests and determined that he was in the early stages of gastrointestinal cancer after the ulcer was biopsied. Later, at Houston’s M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Mattic said he was diagnosed with Stage 3 gastrointestinal cancer.
“Before they did surgery they told me they would only have to take part of my stomach,” Mattic said. “But they took me back and said they took it all because they did not want to risk a re-occurrence.”
Mattic said he opted for an aggressive form of treatment that required him to go through chemotherapy and radiation protocols simultaneously. He does not recommend it for everyone.
“What worried me the most was my fear of losing my independence,” Mattic said. “When we hear the word cancer, we think about giving up and not being normal anymore. I thought about having to get around in a wheelchair and not being able to live life anymore.
“None of that turned out to be true. “
Mattic said he never lost his hair and never lost his hope. Mattic said he saw people around the hospital with missing limbs and babies crying and suffering and made a point to always say he was blessed beyond measure even when he was not feeling well, because he was constantly reminded of those who had suffered more.
Mattic said he did spend time thinking about why he developed the disease and why he survived the disease. His doctors told him that most people with his type of cancer diagnosed in later stages do not survive.
“I never smoked or drank,” Mattic said. “I was always the designated driver. I always tried to eat right. My doctor said that’s probably why I survived.”
Mattic moved to Houston while he was being treated and his mother, Judy Wilson, stopped working and moved to Houston with him, acting as his caregiver. Things got financially rough for his mother, but they are both survivors, Mattic said.
“Coming back home is electrifying,” Mattic said. “I realize how much I’m valued and needed. I am grateful for this journey. Grateful for the support I had from my Fort Worth ISD family, my family and my friends. I have a lot to be thankful for.”
