I just wanted to share this..... As Matt's Birthday draws near its nice to know that there are still articles on him 7 months after his passing
This isn't your average school garden, and it's no outdoor classroom project. Rather, the new garden at Youree Drive Middle School is a memorial to one fallen classmate.
The Matthew Campbell Garden is a tribute to 15-year-old Campbell, born with hypoplastic right heart syndrome, who died Feb. 3 from a mold condition after receiving a heart transplant in Dallas.
The garden was last year's eight-grade class project.
Youree Drive Middle Principal Victor Mainiero said it all started with an idea from Nicole Ayers, yearbook sponsor, who thought to buy bricks, engraved with students' names to honor Campbell.
Then, eighth-graders decided to take it on as their class project. Mainiero said half of the class purchased bricks, and the other students' names were inscribed by the school.
"Really, it grew when we started getting more and more bricks. Every eighth-grader's going to be on it," Mainiero said. "More and more students decided they wanted to buy bricks, so we tied it into our eighth-grade class project. So it grew and grew."
Mainiero said the whole school, in some way, had a hand in the garden. With the size of the garden, bricks are still arriving weekly, and one-third is currently in place. The next step is a pathway connecting the garden to the patio walkway.
"Phase II will be with Centenary friends and family," he said. "That will be a pathway leading up to the garden."
Matthew Campbell's mother, Francine Campbell, said he had undergone multiple surgeries before he was 18 months old. After that, his condition improved, and during his younger days, he played sports like most children his age.
Then, about three years ago, Matthew developed a protein-losing enteropathy and needed a second heart, which his body responded to well, Francine Campbell said.
But, that wasn't Matthew Campbell's only triumph. His birth was considered a miracle, as doctors thought he wouldn't make it, Francine Campbell said.
"He truly was a gift, and that's why we named him Matthew," Francine Campbell said. "And he truly was a gift."
His life, too, was a blessing to others, Francine Campbell said.
"Matthew never complained, never in his whole life. He was in band. When he was younger, he played baseball and flag football. He got out there and did everything everybody else was doing. Then he had his Boy Scouts, and that's what he loved. He was a tremendous kid," Francine Campbell said. "Matthew's story brought hope to a lot of people and strengthened their faith."
And there was an outpouring of response from people, she said.
"Matthew just brought a lot of people together. He just instilled a lot of hope in people," Campbell said. "I got cards. We received mail. People from all over the world were praying for Matthew."
Because of Matthew's great spirit, Francine Campbell is happy his friends and classmates have honored him.
"The eighth-grade class does a project every year, and this was their project (last year)," Francine Campbell said. "It's a huge garden between the seventh- and eighth-grade wing. The whole garden is in his honor. It makes me very proud and very honored to be his mother."
Francine Campbell, who started a scholarship fund at Centenary College after his passing, didn't want the inspiration he brought to end with his death.
She hopes maybe 20 years from now someone may find strength from Matthew Campbell's story.
"That's the main thing — is to tell his story."
1 comments:
So sweet!
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