Welcome back Matt
Student back on campus thru a little help from friends
Aaron Mueller
Issue date: 8/29/08 Section: Features
Sometimes it feels like a guy just can't catch a break. Matt Hayden, a sophomore last year at Spring Arbor University, was one of those guys. Hayden has suffered injury after injury in his three years at SAU, many of which have kept him out of the classroom and away from studying.
Hayden suffers from a condition called neuropathy, which causes him to be unable to feel with his hands, legs and feet. With no sense of touch in these areas, he has often injured himself because he lives without a luxury most people take for granted-pain.
Hayden spent much of his freshman year on crutches after injuring his ankle in an intramural soccer game. He has reinjured his ankle throughout his college career and often has walked on his injured ankle, furthering the damage.
Due to his injuries and frequent visits to the hospital, Hayden struggled with his grades in his first two years of college. However, that would not even compare to the difficulties at the end of his third year at SAU.
The Saturday before finals last spring, Hayden broke his collarbone in a biking accident. The time in the hospital kept him away from his studies. So when he returned, he had plenty of work to do.
"It obviously still hurt, I was trying to work in pain, with little sleep and groggy from the pain medicine," he said.
After underperforming on his finals, Hayden received a letter of dismissal from the school since he hadn't met the academic standards of the university.
"I was pretty disappointed. I like it there and like all the people," he said.
SAU is also one of few schools that have his Christian Ministries major. Disappointed, Hayden decided to pursue a sociology degree at Lansing Community College, which he said would be "a round-about way to do what I want to do."
However, when a group of his close friends at SAU found out about what had happened, they decided to take action.
David Boss, a junior, said, "At first we thought it was a final decision. We felt helpless about it. But we thought Matt Hayden needed a break. If anyone deserved to come back, it was Matt Hayden."
Hayden suffers from a condition called neuropathy, which causes him to be unable to feel with his hands, legs and feet. With no sense of touch in these areas, he has often injured himself because he lives without a luxury most people take for granted-pain.
Hayden spent much of his freshman year on crutches after injuring his ankle in an intramural soccer game. He has reinjured his ankle throughout his college career and often has walked on his injured ankle, furthering the damage.
Due to his injuries and frequent visits to the hospital, Hayden struggled with his grades in his first two years of college. However, that would not even compare to the difficulties at the end of his third year at SAU.
The Saturday before finals last spring, Hayden broke his collarbone in a biking accident. The time in the hospital kept him away from his studies. So when he returned, he had plenty of work to do.
"It obviously still hurt, I was trying to work in pain, with little sleep and groggy from the pain medicine," he said.
After underperforming on his finals, Hayden received a letter of dismissal from the school since he hadn't met the academic standards of the university.
"I was pretty disappointed. I like it there and like all the people," he said.
SAU is also one of few schools that have his Christian Ministries major. Disappointed, Hayden decided to pursue a sociology degree at Lansing Community College, which he said would be "a round-about way to do what I want to do."
However, when a group of his close friends at SAU found out about what had happened, they decided to take action.
David Boss, a junior, said, "At first we thought it was a final decision. We felt helpless about it. But we thought Matt Hayden needed a break. If anyone deserved to come back, it was Matt Hayden."
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Jan Warren
posted 8/31/08 @ 12:31 PM EST
God bless Boss for doing something for Matt to allow him to continue his schooling. I hope they both live a long, productive life.(I have neuropathy also, the painful kind, and I never thought of that as being a blessing before. (Continued…)
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