Amputee Airman overcomes cancer, maintains athletic lifestyle

  • Published
  • By 1st Lt. Marnee A.C. Losurdo
  • 512th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. (AFPN) --  In 2005, he ran the New York City Marathon and skied down the Rockies. The fact he has one leg isn’t slowing him down.

Tech. Sgt. Matthew Profitt is an active sportsman -- the 38-year-old reservist plays racquetball, bobsleds, canoes, cycles and runs. But, three years ago the 512th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron guidance and control section technician wasn’t sure he’d be alive today.

Deadly Diagnosis

In June 2003, while activated a second year to support the war on terrorism, Sergeant Profitt said he noticed an ulcer on his right shin.

“It wouldn’t heal,” he said.

This raised a flag for the sergeant because he had a noncancerous ulcer removed in the same area in 2002.

He wasn’t as fortunate this time. At the Bethesda Naval Hospital, Bethesda, Md., a doctor biopsied the ulcer and diagnosed him with epithelioid sarcoma, a malignant soft tissue tumor that typically develops in tissues under the skin of the hands, forearms, feet, or lower leg.

He went to John Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, for a second opinion and the doctor recommended amputation to get the rare and aggressive cancer away from his body, he said.

“As soon as they told me, I was in shock,” he recalled. “To be told it’s malignant; that I have a 20 percent survival rate; and they have to amputate. After leaving the hospital, I pulled over the side of the road and broke down.”

Two weeks later Sergeant Profitt was on the operating table at Bethesda. His leg was amputated at mid-calf.

“I woke up and felt fine. Within three to four days I was up and moving around with a walker,” he said.

There were several combat-veterans from Iraq recovering from war wounds while Sergeant Profitt was at the hospital.

“I made a lot of friends there,” he said. “It made me realize I wasn’t the only person going through this. Some people had three limbs missing. It was inspiring for me to see them overcome their experiences.”

The sergeant was released to Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, D.C., and within three weeks he was learning how to use an artificial limb, or prosthesis. There are a variety of prostheses for different activities. For example, Sergeant Profitt wears a flexible prosthesis, a C-Sprint, which absorbs impact when he runs.

It took him a month to learn how to walk again, but that was only the first battle in his war against cancer. After healing from his operation, Sergeant Profitt went through four months of chemotherapy sessions. He received his last checkup in October and is cancer free today.

The one thing Sergeant Profitt didn’t worry about was his job, he said. A 2005 medical evaluation board recommended his continued service.

“Through it all, there was never any question that I could come back here to my job,” he said. “My unit, commander, first sergeant, and section chief would visit me and make sure I wasn’t having any issues. They lent an ear and were there for support.”

His supervisor, Senior Master Sgt. Fred Traute, the squadron avionics section chief, said he watched Sergeant Profitt’s recovery and was impressed by his attitude.

“Through all of this, he maintained a positive outlook and was an inspiration to those who had knowledge of it,” Sergeant Traute said. “He didn't walk around complaining about it.”

New beginnings

A traumatic life situation can change a person’s outlook on life. Sergeant Profitt’s ordeal with cancer has him living every day like he’s dying. The doctors gave him a one-in-five chance to survive five years from the surgery and chemotherapy, he said.

“It’s changed me a lot. I’m a better person. I don’t want to take a moment for granted or waste my days,” he said. “I didn’t want to be 60 or on my death bed saying I wish I went to Park City, or ran a marathon or bobsledded. I’m willing to try anything. I’m not afraid of failure.”

He quit his job with his employer of 10 years and moved to Park City, Utah, this fall. He volunteers with Disabled Sports USA, the Challenged Athletes Foundation, and the National Abilities Center. These organizations fund sporting events and offer sports opportunities to people with disabilities. They also provide training and opportunities to potential U.S. Paralympians. The U.S. Paralympics is a division of the U.S. Olympic committee.

“I know how important sports have been for me as far as goals and a sense of accomplishment. I want to transfer that to the kids,” said Sergeant Profitt, who volunteers about seven hours a week assisting with the NAC skiing and bobsled programs.

“I recently worked with a 12-year-old amputee, and seeing him have the opportunity to go out on the slopes is rewarding,” said the sergeant who works out three to four times a week. “I like to see young people come back pumped up and smiling. It’s an opportunity for them not to think about medical issues going on in their lives. It’s so important for the psyche of people.”

The 20-year Air Force veteran plans to retire in October.

However, his future career goals include getting a degree in teaching, or special education, and becoming more involved with the NAC, he said. His long-term goal is to become a member of Utah’s first disabled bobsled team for the 2014 U.S. Winter Paralympics.