Matthew Sato: from near death to a reclaimed life

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Madi Sato and Steve Sato are organizing this fundraiser on behalf of Matthew Sato.

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Dear community of family and friends,

I have organized this campaign on behalf of my brother, Matthew Todd Sato, who has been through one of the most intensive and astonishing medical ordeals I have ever witnessed. In August 2021, Matthew was unwell with stomach pain for three weeks and eventually became unable to eat much or to even go to work. The sickness escalated until he went into emergency surgery for a perforated colon and advanced peritonitis. He was taken into St. Vincent’s Hospital in Santa Fe, NM on September 1st.

In the procedure, part of Matthew’s colon was removed and the remainder was reattached to his intestinal system. Unfortunately, the connection point soon broke loose and he was catapulted into a second emergency surgery as fecal matter had again leaked into the peritoneal cavity. He then received several subsequent procedures to flush the area and attempt to mitigate the infection. Matthew’s stomach was left open for several days, closed again, and then reopened as the infection continued to hold.

These ups and downs continued for another two weeks without any great signs of improvement. It seemed like an endless parade of one step forward, two steps backward. The infection kept on. His blood pressure skyrocketed. His breathing was labored. Matthew began to seriously question whether he should continue to live in his declined and stagnated condition.

On one particular day, we all felt he might be leaving us and departed the hospital tearful and torn. Miraculously, that same night, Matthew had what could be described as a near death experience. His soul was taken on a journey of the most extraordinary nature. The following morning, I went to visit Matthew and he described the journey in great detail. As he spoke, I was greatly comforted by his renewed presence. His entire being looked transformed and radiant. I had never before heard him speak much about spiritual matters. But, in this case, he reported every intimate detail of what happened in spirit that would allow him to continue living. He said there were legions of sick people surrounding him, yet he was brought to the front of the group to be doctored. He didn’t know exactly why, but he knew for certain that a healing was given to him.

From that day, he began to progress. Because he now desired to live, he actively worked with the surgeons and nurses to mutually find the right way forward. Amazingly, Matthew began to taper off of the pain medications. Slowly, the infection stabilized and the antibiotics were reduced. And eventually, the surgeons felt they could close his stomach for good. Through the many procedures, Matthew’s abdominal wall had become so compromised that a skin graft was necessary to complete that closure.

Every day for these five weeks, our family along with Matthew’s loyal partner Morgan, has been by his side. On September 28, he was released from the intensive care unit and brought into the regular care ward. And, on October 5th, he finally left the hospital and returned home. Matthew is overjoyed to be back in a normal living environment. And he is now sitting up, taking some steps, and eating little bits at a time.

To me, he has become a new person, one who for certain is in need of healing and regeneration but one who also now carries a deepened understanding of life, death and the greater purpose of it all. This crisis has been one of the hardest things I’ve ever seen a human being endure. It has been excruciating for Morgan and for our family. And yet the constant flow of presence and prayer that we have all maintained while surrounding Matthew has turned this crisis into a blessing. We have come together heart to heart in ways some families might never experience.

Matthew is the middle child of three siblings. I am the eldest and our youngest brother is Stephen. When we were very young--ages 5, 3, and 1 respectively--we lost our father suddenly. He was only 32. This tragedy entirely changed the trajectory of our family’s path. My father had brought us back to his homeland of Japan to raise us. Upon his death, we were instantly catapulted back to America with a devastated mother and we struggled to survive for years. Of course, the loss of a father is a profound lifelong wound. It has been difficult for each of us to tend to this wound. This crisis for Matthew has given us the opportunity to bring some healing among us. And we feel our healing brings a blessing to the larger Sato family in Japan and to our ancestral line.

Matthew has been in an emotionally opened state for weeks, often in tears both at the difficulty of the challenge before him and the beauty of how his life was given back to him in a transfigured state. We feel he has the opportunity to remake his life and come back to a state of health and well being. To facilitate this process, he will need support. If Matthew tries to go full steam without taking the necessary time to recover and strengthen, he will certainly fall ill again.

So, this is a call to the community asking for support. Matthew has not been able to work for over 2 months and will need to stay home another 3-6 months, depending on how things transpire. During that period, he needs support for monthly expenses, including very good foods and medicines as well as physical rehabilitation and positive modalities in order for his healing to be complete. It is my greatest desire to see him healthy again. It is Matthew’s greatest desire to return home, to walk and eat and eventually work again.

We hope to raise $24,711 to support his expenses for the next six months. A detailed budget list is included below.

He knows it will be an arduous and painstaking process but he is willing and grateful to have this second chance at life. Just his beaming golden-hearted presence alone is pure gift. We love him so much and honor his particular purpose on this Earth. Thank you so much for all the love and generosity you have already shared with us.