Matthew Frome Is The Heart Of Eagan High School
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Matthew Frome walks the halls of Eagan High School, where he is one busy guy.
"I'm involved in everything," Matthew said.
He suffers from a disorder that is part of the autism tree, but that hardly holds him back. He is a friend to many; the manager of the soccer and basketball teams -- and so much more.
"He has such a fan base. Whenever I see him in the halls … I'll see a couple kids say 'hi' to him. He's very popular," classmate Jake Reding said.
What has happened here is the ultimate partnership. Matthew just wanted to be one of the gang, and he is, in so many ways.
One can only imagine the fears a mother and father feel as they watch a child with a disability go off to school, then find out he is thriving.
"Sometimes I get really teary eyed when I think about it," said Michele Frome, Matthew's mother. "And I know that he was given to us to make a difference in others, but it's amazing. We've tried to create that circle of friendship that will lead him through the next years of his life. And to see the pure joy with the kids that are around him and with him is amazing."
What you soon find out is this is not a pity party; it is about a bond.
"If he needs a ride somewhere, we've got him. If he needs a place to hang out, we've got him. We give him a chance to get involved in those sports environments because we know he really likes that," classmate Chad Miller said.
And that is what makes this story so uplifting; that this generation indeed cares about one another.
"When he's here at the high school ... he's completely safe. And when he's with these kids, the ones that really know him completely, surround him and take care of him, and they actually look out for him like they're brothers, sisters," Michele said.
When he leaves, he will leave a young man who loved his time at Eagan High School, and for all the right reasons. Because these people have cared so much, and what he may not know is what he has done for those same friends.
"My friends and I have maybe been put into Matthew's life in an attempt to affect his life and to help him out. But in reality I think he's helped us more than we could ever help him," Chad said. "And I think I speak for everyone who knows Matthew when I say that we are truly blessed to be a blessing for him."
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