Impact

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Matt’s Hats exists to help kids in the hospital by promoting hope and success in their future. We do this through actions such as:

Sponsoring School Hat Days

A popular way people become involved is to ask their local school to partner with us. Hat Days are when students pay $1 to wear a hat to school. At the end of the day, students are given the opportunity to donate their hat. Sign your school up here.

Funding Cancer Research

Matt’s Hats is proud to sponsor two former doctors of Matt’s ,Joshua RubinM.D and Jeff bednarski.M.D, who operate research laboratories at Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis.
Only about 4% of the National Cancer Institute's annual budget is used to fight childhood cancer. Matt's Hats has donated over $14,000 to support pediatric cancer research.

Conference Presentations

Matt’s Hats is currently presenting and looking for more opportunities to share our story and networking with individuals who are interested in supporting. If interested in having us at your event please contact us here.

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Facts

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• Childhood cancer is the number one disease killer in children.
• There are 15 children diagnosed with cancer for every one child diagnosed with pediatric AIDS. Yet, the U.S. invests approximately $595,000 for research per victim of pediatric AIDS and only $20,000 for each * victim of childhood cancer.
• The National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) federal budget was $4.6 billion. Of that, breast cancer received 12%, prostate cancer received 7%, and all 12 major groups of pediatric cancers combined received less than 3%.
• The American Cancer spends less than 70 cents of each 100 dollars raised on childhood cancer.
• Cancer kills more children than any other disease, more than Asthma, Cystic Fibrosis, Diabetes and Pediatric AIDS combined.
• Sadly, over 2,300 children with cancer die each year.
• Every school day 46 children are diagnosed.
• 1 in 330 children will have the disease by age 20.
• Cancers in very young children are highly aggressive and behave unlike malignant diseases at other times in life.
• 80% of children have metastasized cancer at the time of their diagnosis. At diagnosis, only 20% of adults with cancer show evidence that the disease has spread or metastasized.
• Detecting childhood cancers at an early stage, when the disease would react more favorably to treatment, is extremely difficult.
• Cancer symptoms in children – fever, swollen glands, anemia, bruises and infection – are often suspected to be, and at the early stages are treated as, other childhood illnesses.
• Even with insurance coverage, a family will have out-of pocket expenses of about $40,000 per year, not including travel.
• Treatment can continue for several years, depending on the type of cancer and the type of therapy given.

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Speaking

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Matt's Story

“After nourishment, shelter and companionship, stories are the thing we need most in the world.” ― Philip Pullman

Matt strives to share his story every opportunity he presented. Speaking to kids and audiences of all ages in a variety of events, Matt is not only dedicated to helping childhood cancer victims, but also to empowering others to reach their full potential. His message titled, “Tragedy to Opportunity” appeases audiences, building off the idea that everyone has a story and we need simply to search how we can use it to help others.

For booking inquiries please contact us

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