Raising Matty Christian

Matthew G. “Matty” Christian was born in Canton, MA, in 1983 without fully formed limbs or a tongue. His parents never treated him as disabled and did not encourage anyone to feel sorry for him. From the beginning, Matty was expected to be a part of the everyday world. Matty mastered the use of prosthetic legs, although he could walk just as easily without them, while prosthetic arms proved to be too cumbersome. Surgery enabled Matty to speak, albeit with a very slight impediment. A love of sports turned him into a trophy-winning athlete, with notable achievements in wrestling and swimming, and he went on to help inspire young people with disabilities, serving as both a camp counselor and a personal mentor. Matty's accidental death in 2009 from a mixture of alcohol and prescription medicine was a cruelly abrupt ending to a life that was full of hope. Backed by Eric Barao's subtle yet often haunting musical score, filmmaker Christian de Rezendes presents an affecting portrait of a beautiful person, taking viewers on an emotional odyssey in this profoundly moving documentary. Highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (P. Hall)