SASKATCHEWAN TEEN AUTHOR DIES OF CANCERBy Jason Warick
January 5, 2009 6:03 PM
A teenager who penned an award-winning allegorical novel about a boy and a dragon has died of cancer.Matthew Epp, a 16-year-old from the town of Fiske, located approximately 130 kilometres southwest of Saskatoon, died Friday. Epp wrote the story
Hope & the Dragon five years ago while attending a camp for children affected by cancer. The dragon symbolized cancer and a boy defeats it with a combination of hope, faith, love and courage. His grandmother entered it in a 2006 writing contest and it was awarded first prize. It was published and he did book readings and various other speaking events, discussing his own battle with a form of cancer called Wilm’s tumour. He endured this rare form of kidney cancer throughout his life, requiring several rounds of chemotherapy and radiation treatment as the cancer kept returning. He raised money for cancer research through his book sales and by participating in various fundraisers in nearby Rosetown and other communities. “His whole life revolved around cancer treatments . . . yet Matthew never saw his life that way,” states his recently-published obituary. “He always said that he was happy and that life was good. He had many wonderful experiences during his short life.” From age six, Matthew attended Camp Circle O’Friends, a four-day retreat at Lake Diefenbaker for children touched by cancer. “Everyone who met him (at camp) was touched by his zest for life, positive attitude and desire to be just a ‘normal’ kid,” stated the obituary.
© Copyright The StarPhoenix
MATTHEW ROBERT JOSEPH EPPNovember 30, 1992 to January 2, 2009Either God Will Take My Cancer From Me, Or Me From My Cancer: Either Way I WinMatthew was the amazing, wonderful son of Dwayne and Nicole Epp and Robert and Brenda Larrabee. He was big brother to Christian, 8 years old and Emmanuelle, 7 years old; Grandson to Ed Mercier and Sharon Johnson, Rodney and Marlane Fox, Richard and Darlene Epp, Marjorie Larrabee, Tom and Mellonie Larrabee; Great-Grandson to Laurence and Cynthia Mutlow, Bill and Vendora Peters and Egland Mercier. He was nephew to Michael and Courtenay Mercier, Chris and Krystle Rawson, Curtis and Laura Epp, Kevin Epp and Lita Norman, Michael and Joanne Epp, Steven and Jennifer Rowan, Nicole Epp, Jean Paul Larrabee and Sterling Larrabee. Matthew also had many great aunts and uncles, cousins and wonderful friends. He was predeceased by his aunt Melanie Epp, his great-auntie Loraine Mercier, great-grandfather Kenneth McKenzie, great-grandfather Noel Mercier, great-grandfather Jacob Epp and great-grandmother Katharina Epp. Matthew was diagnosed with Wilm's tumor, cancer of the kidney, when he was almost two years old. He relapsed three times. His whole life revolved around cancer treatments, cancer remissions and cancer relapses. Yet, Matthew never saw his life that way. He always said that he was happy, and that his life was good. He had many wonderful experiences during his short life. His wishes came true thanks to the Children's Wish Foundation, he was 2004 Champion Child for the Children's Health and Hospital Foundation of Saskatchewan, and he was a published author of the book Hope and the Dragon. He helped raise money for cancer research by participating in Relay for Life in Rosetown and by his book sales which a percentage of the proceeds go to the Childhood Cancer Foundation. Matthew loved canoeing, fishing, camping and just spending time with his family. He also loved quading and spending time with all of his friends. He loved playing playstation with his brother Christian and cuddling with his sister Emmanuelle. Anyone who knew Matthew all know how much he enjoyed trying new foods, cooking, barbecuing, restaurants and just talking about the foods he had tried. Matthew also loved Camp Circle of Friends, a camp at Diefenbaker Lake for children touched by cancer. He started going there at six years old and went almost every year after that. He loved the friends he met there and it was exciting when his brother and sister were able to join him in 2008. Everyone who met him was touched by his zest for life, positive attitude and desire to just be a normal kid. Matthew attended D'arcy elementary school and then attended Rosetown Central High School, a place where he met amazing teachers and friends all of which gave our family so much support and kindness. From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you for that! We would like to thank Dr. Ali, Matthew's oncologist since he was two years old, nurses Kathie and Jan and all the other amazing nurses from the Saskatoon Cancer Clinic. We would like to thank the doctors and nurses at the Rosetown Hospital who always made Matthew feel special. A special thank you to Shelley, Bev and the homecare nurses. We would like to thank the nurses and doctors from the pain management team at St. Paul's Hospital and thank you so much to our community, our friends and our family who gave us so much love and support all these years also, a special thank you to Matthew's best friend, Kaitlyn McIntyre. We are going to miss him so much, and life will never be the same again. I always called him my angel boy when I put him into bed at night, so I would like to finish this by saying one last time, goodnight my angel boy, I love you so much. The Funeral Service for Matthew will be held on Wednesday, January 7, 2009 at 1:00 p.m. at the Rosetown Alliance Church with Pastors Claire & Garth Ewert Fisher officiating. In lieu of flowers, Memorial Donations may be made to the Saskatchewan Children's Health and Hospital Foundation, the Children's Wish Foundation of Saskatchewan or to the Children's Cancer Foundation. Clements Rosetown Funeral Home entrusted with the arrangements.
