This is story of a 22-year young man's road to recovery who didn't let a traumatic brain injury from a sports injury ruin his life plans.
During the National Schools Judo Championships B Boys’ light weight (73kg and under) semi-final in 2010, the then 16-year-old went down head first during the match, resulting in an unsafe landing (*as told by witnesses present).
Matthew was later rushed to hospital when he collapsed after the match. Doctors performed a craniotomy to depressurize the compression in his skull (which had deprived his brain of oxygen), and a portion of his skull was removed. No foul play was detected at the end of the investigation. Till this day, Matthew has no recollection of that match.
Chapter 1: Waking up to a “reality” nightmare
Chapter 2: A new chapter of social judgments and misunderstandings
Chapter 3: Look past my disabilities, to see my potential abilities
Chapter 4: Past setbacks has shaped me to who I’ve became today
Chapter 5: I found the “light” that brightened up my darkest periods
Chapter 6: Integration as a step forward to mature into a socially-inclusive society
