Matthew grew up in Eastern North Carolina and has always been an avid fisherman. He came from a family of military men and remembers always wanting to serve his country. He joined the Marine Corps as an Infantryman and, five years later, was medically retired after the job took its physical and mental toll on him. He has severe hearing loss, nerve damage in one eye, and was later diagnosed with PTSD
CHAMP helped Matt live a more normal life. Not a fan of crowds, waiting time, or stressful environments, Matthew missed out on a lot of time with his wife and children. With CHAMP by his side, he was able to build a happier and healthier life with his family.
After many years of working together, Matthew began to look at life after CHAMP’s retirement and what that would mean. In an effort to prevent any backward slide in mental health, he requested a Successor Dog. Enter VICTORY!
VICTORY will alert Matthew to various alarms and knocks at the door, being Matthew’s ears in a busy world. He will also interrupt negative behaviors and will anchor to Matthew’s rising anxieties while out in public!