Way back in 1998 when Matt was a 5th grader at St Mark’s school in Catonsville, MD he was given a writing assignment in English class. Pick a college basketball team and write a letter to the coach wishing his team success in that year’s NCAA tournament. On a whim Matt picked the Duke Blue Devils – for no particular reason other than they had a good team, a great coach, and were not the Maryland Terrapins! That seemingly random choice changed the trajectory of Matt’s life. For quite unexpectedly, Matt received a letter back from Duke a couple weeks later. Inside was a picture of the Duke men’s basketball team with the handwritten inscription: “To Matthew: Always try your best.” It was signed by none other than Coach K, Mike Krzyzewski.

That experience left an indelible impression on Matt. While at Loyola Matt set out to learn more about Duke – not just about its basketball team, but about its academic programs too. Duke became Matt’s top choice when he applied to colleges, and he waited anxiously during senior year to find out whether he would be admitted. When the news came that he had been accepted into the Class of 2010, Matt was ecstatic.

While at Duke Matt pursued dual degrees in biomedical and electrical engineering. Through persistence and determination he even manged to earn a walk-on spot on Duke’s swim team, which was no small feat for someone of his stature! And despite the demands of his courses and swimming, Matt still made time to root for the Duke Blue Devils and Coach K. He was a regular in the Cameron student section for home games, and even tented in “Krzyzewskiville” before the North Carolina games. In 2010, the year Matt graduated, he witnessed the Duke men’s basketball team win the national championship first hand in Indianapolis.

Years later when Matt was sick the story of that first Coach K letter came full circle. Knowing that Matt was facing a terminal illness, I decided to write my own letter to Coach K this time (unbeknownst to Matt) telling Matt’s story. I ended the letter as follows:

The reason I write is twofold. First, to thank Duke University in general, and you Coach K especially, for the enormous positive impact you’ve made on my son. That team photograph and inscription from twenty three years ago changed the course of my son’s life – all for the better. Second, perhaps to commemorate that event from so long ago, it would be great if you would be so kind to send another team photograph to my son. It would mean the world to him – and to all of us – as he faces his final competition: “To Matthew, Always try your best!”

Thanks for everything.
Sincerely, Gerry McKenna (Matt’s dad)

A few days later I got a reply from Coach K’s assistant asking for Matt’s cell phone number down in Nashville. Minutes later Matt and his wife Monica (also a Duke grad) were on the phone with Coach K, who offered words of empathy and encouragement. Later, Matt received a poster in the mail with another handwritten inscription: “To Matt and Monica: Stay strong together.” And whose signature was at the bottom? Mike Krzyzewski’s