As a New York City firefighter, Matt Long dedicated his life to saving others. A natural athlete, he grew up in a family of nine, where competition and physical endurance were part of daily life. From shooting hoops in his Brooklyn backyard to playing Division I college basketball, he lived and breathed physical fitness and perseverance. After college, he joined the FDNY in 1993, where staying in peak physical condition wasn’t just a personal goal—it was a necessity.
“In my mind, the best tool on that fire truck was me and my fitness level,” said Matt. “I worked in Manhattan, so we would climb seven stories up with 100 lbs of equipment. If you were not in shape, you couldn’t go to work.”
Most of us focus on our fitness by joining a gym, but Matt went above and beyond by competing in triathlons and running fast marathons. After completing his first Ironman race in 2005, he qualified for a spot in the 2006 Boston event. Unfortunately, he never had the chance to compete. On Dec. 22, 2005, Matt—who was fit, confident, and ready to take on the world—hopped on his bike to go for a ride. Shortly after, Matt was run over by a 20-ton bus that made an illegal turn.
“I woke up a couple of weeks after the accident,” said Matt. “The doctor and my brother, who was also a firefighter, were in the room. They were bringing me out of a medically induced coma to tell me that I was hit and run over by a bus and that I had sustained a tremendous amount of injuries, lost a lot of blood, and I would be in the hospital for a very long time. I don’t remember much about the accident at all, but I do remember that firefighters were under there helping me, so I knew I was in good hands.”
The injuries Matt sustained pushed him to the brink of death. He received 68 units of blood in the first 40 hours after the accident and spent 5 months in the hospital. 43 operations later, he began a grueling rehabilitation regime—but the psychological challenges he faced were just as painful.
“The mental aspect and anguish that I suffered was probably just as bad if not worse,” said Matt. “I was a different person when I was in the hospital doing rehab and waiting for surgeries. I was angry. I was depressed. When I left the hospital, it got worse. It was a long, drawn-out battle of why me? Why did I live?”
For nearly two years, Matt lived with an open abdominal wound and a colostomy bag, unable to close his abdominal wall due to the extent of his injuries. Doctors had already taken skin grafts from his thighs, but there wasn’t enough to fully repair his abdomen. That’s when medical science and the miracle of tissue donation came to his rescue.
“The doctors told me that they were going to put my muscles back together, but they would have to insert patches of Alloderm, or donated tissue,” said Matt. “It was recovered skin from donors that was ready to go. He said they were going to use quite a bit of it, and he needed me to be careful once it was done. He said in years to come, if they ever have to go back in and operate, they won’t even know it’s there because it will have become my own fascia (connected tissue). I was amazed by the things they could do and the miracles of medicine.”
Though he will never know his donor’s name, he is forever grateful for their gift, which gave him the ability to regain his strength and continue his life.
“The tissue transplants gave me the confidence to rebuild my life,” said Matt. “Yes, the tissue allowed them to put my organs back in place, stretch my skin, and close my abdomen, but it also brought my confidence back. It got me back out to socialize, it opened up my life again. Once I was able to exercise again and rebuild my body, I got more social. It really did give me my freedom back.”
Despite warnings to take it easy, Matt’s determination led him to rebuild his body with rigorous training. Just months after his major reconstructive surgery, he was doing 100 sit-ups a day—much to his doctor’s disbelief. His progress even impressed LifeCell, the company behind AlloDerm, proving just how far tissue donation could be pushed in the hands of someone determined to heal.
Only three years after his accident, Matt participated in the 2008 New York City Marathon. One of the many supporters cheering him on was Loreen Pais, his former occupational therapist who now serves as a hospital liaison at HonorBridge.
“I remember her being on 1st Avenue with a sign for me, and I gave her a quick hug,” said Matt. “She was full of tears. When she saw what I was able to accomplish, she realized that everything she went through was worth it, as well.”
Today, Matt is happily married and a proud father, published author, and public speaker. Although he has retired from the fire department, triathlons, and distance running, he continues to stay physically fit.
“I think a body in motion is better than a body stuck on the couch,” said Matt. “I’d like to die young as late as possible–that’s kind of my motto.”
Having experienced firsthand the impact of tissue donation, Matt wants the world to know that donation isn’t just about organs; it’s about restoring lives in countless ways.
“The gift of life is what you’re giving here,” said Matt. “If the last thing you do on this Earth is give back to someone else who has more years in front of them, you’ve done your job. I’m just grateful that this was available and something they did 19 years ago. In the long run, post-recovery, it gave me my life back. I was able to meet my wife. She had two kids when we met, and now we have a third, so we have three beautiful girls. I’m lucky enough to travel the country speaking about what happened to me and encouraging others not to give up. It really did change the course of my recovery and my outlook on life.”
For those considering registering their decision to be a donor, Matt’s story is a powerful reminder: You never know whose life you might save—or whose future you might help rebuild. Sign up today!
