Matt Cwiertny was a wonderful and vital 24-year-old young man who fought to overcome an immune system disorder that made him vulnerable to the Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV). HLH, also known as hemophagocytic syndrome, is a disorder of unregulated activation of lymphohistiocytic cells that results in hemophagocytosis,hypercytokinemia, and multi-organ (e.g., spleen, liver, lung, brain, or other vital org
ans) dysfunction, which without early treatment results in death. After a number of very severe battles with EBV-associated HLH, Matt developed non-Hodgkin’s NK T-cell lymphoma (cancer). In an attempt to cure his EBV–associated cancer, he underwent numerous rounds of chemotherapy and ultimately a Bone Marrow Transplant at The City of Hope in Duarte, CA, in late 2008. Sadly, in mid-2009, the disease returned and Matt became seriously ill with NK-T-cell brain lymphoma, which necessitated several rounds of brain radiation. While fighting a very severe episode of EBV-HLH, and just after completing a dozen sessions of brain radiation therapy that significantly weakened his immune system, Matt succumbed to his extremely rare EBV-associated diseases and passed away on October 3, 2009.
