Honorary Caregivers Named for Relay for Life.
This is something Matt okayed back in Feburary. He was being honored and so was Casey for her Caregiving. The Relay for Life team still wanted to honor Matt this August 3, 2012. Since Matt is not with us Casey wil have to do the speech and if Myles decideds to make an early appearance then I will have to do the speech. If I am unable to make it through it then Jenyy will help us out. Here is a copy of the news paper article.
Watertown Daily Times Article for Relay for Life:
"My son was a good hugger. I miss his hugs,” Kitty Krueger said as she remembered her son’s life.
Kitty, along with her daughter-in-law Casey Krueger are this year’s honorary caregivers for the American Cancer Society Relay For Life.
The 18th annual relay in Watertown will be held from 4 p.m. Friday to noon Saturday, Aug. 4 on the track at Watertown High School. The Kruegers will be the speakers at the survivor ceremony set for 7 p.m. Friday.
In February, last year’s honorary chairwoman Megan Schwefel had asked Matt Krueger to serve as this year’s honorary chairman of the event. Schwefel knew Matt through his work with his father-in-law’s snow plowing business.
“The original plan was that Matt was going to be there and I was going to be the honorary caregiver,” Casey, Matt’s widow said.
Matt, who passed away in April, is still being considered the honorary survivor, while his wife and mother will be the honorary caregivers.
Casey and Matt were high school sweethearts. In high school, they were named the cutest couple for their graduating class in 2007.
“We started dating the summer after our junior year,” Casey said.
During the fall of 2008, Matt started getting sick, suffering from nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. At first he thought he had food poisoning. His condition worsened and it began to worry Kitty and Casey. Kitty finally asked Casey to tell him to go to the doctor. “He would not go to the hospital,” his mother said.
“I had a fit and said go now,” Casey said.
When Matt finally gave in to the pressure from his mother and at the time his girlfriend, the news was not good. His colon was blocked.
At first, doctors wanted to do a CAT scan, but ironically Matt refused because he had heard it could cause cancer, his mother said.
Matt, at the age of 19, underwent exploratory surgery on Oct. 23, 2008. Doctors found his abdomen was full of cancer, Kitty said. He was diagnosed with stage four mucinous adenocarcinoma, a rare form of cancer.
The cancer is usually found in women and in people who are in their 50’s. The cancer sits on the surface of organs and produces mucous. For Matt to have the cancer, was about a one in a million chance.
Kitty said when she first heard the diagnosis she asked the doctor if her son would live to be 29 years old. The doctor did not know. “I asked if he would live to be 21,” she said. Again, the doctor could not predict. Kitty said that is when she lost it.
“Before I saw him I was told not to cry,” Casey said. When she saw him, he told her not to worry. He told Casey he was going to marry her and build her a house.
“Nothing got him down,” Kitty said of her son. “He was always smiling.”
Matt continued with his life and proposed to Casey on Oct. 30, 2008. He put a banner on the side of a dump truck asking her to marry him. Despite his recent surgery, he got down on one knee to propose, she said.
In the following February, Matt went to Washington, D.C. where a specialist performed surgery to remove the remaining cancer. Fifteen procedures were performed during the 12-hour surgery.
“Basically, they went in and flushed out the cancer,” his mother said. The surgery was to give him five more years to live. However, they were back in Washington, D.C. in 11 months.
“He was such a strong kid,” his mother said.
“Matt, you could not keep down,” Casey said.
Two years to the date of the proposal, the couple got married. They moved into the home Matt was building for his family.
Matt worked for Casey’s father, Jerry Hepp Excavating Inc. He loved his work, from concrete to digging holes. His family said his true passion was working.
Matt’s cancer led the couple and his family on a whirlwind of adventure.
Before his death on April 19, he had the opportunity to drive his prized 1999 Z28 Camaro on the Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C. and hear the heartbeat of his unborn son.
Both women recalled the excitement Matt displayed when he heard the heart beat. He recorded it on his cell phone and played it for everyone, Casey said. Matt died eight days after learning Casey was pregnant with their son.
The two picked out the name Myles Allen for the infant, who is due on Aug. 23.
Casey said if the baby is born early, Kitty will have to give the speech alone at the ceremony. Casey said she will have no problem writing the speech. A short video of Matt will also be played during the ceremony.
Matt recorded his story for the Watertown Regional Medical Center, where Kitty is a clinical assistant.
As caregivers, both wife and mother said Matt was an easy patient. “He never let Casey or I know how much he was in pain,” Kitty said.
Casey said he was always anxious to get out of the hospital. He would be sassy to the nurses, she added. “He was easy to deal with.
“Matt’s attitude was I am going to be fine,” she said. “It will all work out.”
Kitty said her son told her he had no regrets. He told her, “It is God’s plan and I am not scared.
“He did not want to worry us,” Kitty said. “He was such a happy go lucky, caring person.”
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