Matthew Shuster
Matthew Shuster, a sophomore at Harcum College, finds joy in giving back. His passion for helping others was inspired by the medical journey of his zayde, which is the Yiddish word for "grandfather." Matthew's zayde, Morris Shuster, came to Penn Medicine after being diagnosed with leukemia in 2009. Matthew was only eight years old when Morris passed away, but even at that young age he felt the lasting impact from the level of care that his zayde received from Selina Luger, MD, and her team.
Having a doctor that inspires your confidence and makes you feel heard is an important element of anyone's cancer care experience, regardless of outcomes from the disease. The Shuster family had one of those connections with Dr. Luger, and their commitment to support her research efforts stands strong to this day. "My close connection to cancer inspires me to help other leukemia patients," shares Matthew. "I started the Morris Shuster Foundation to create awareness and raise money for leukemia research. I hope to make an impact on the lives of patients going through this difficult journey, and hopefully one day help to find a cure."
Last year, Matthew started recruiting faithful friends and family to be by his side–those who are leaders themselves and share a similar passion for helping others–to realize the vision of the Morris Shuster Foundation. "Enhance it, build it, grow it. That's my motto," says Matthew.
Matthew is grateful to have such a supportive community of friends and family helping him along the way. Through their efforts, whether spreading the word to others or discussing innovative ideas around the dinner table, Matthew is able to grow the foundation into something bigger all the time. Matthew explains, "My family says they are inspired by my efforts, but really, I am inspired by their support and desire to help me."
Matthew is passionate about fundraising and raising awareness for needed research in the leukemia space. He continues to rally support from those at his synagogue, as well as engage with individuals at school and in the local Harcum community. The Shuster team is busy organizing in-person fundraising events, to give their growing community of supporters an opportunity to connect. "Whatever our impact ends up being, at the end of the day, I'm really proud of creating something for others to be part of and working together to create awareness and raise money for the work of Dr. Luger and the blood cancer team at Penn."
Philanthropy is part of the Shuster family DNA. Matthew's mummum, his affectious name for his grandmother, Lorna Shuster, created a named fund at Penn Medicine to honor her husband Morris in support of Dr. Luger's blood cancer research–which Matthew's efforts are now directly supporting. Matthew is that next generation of helpers, elevating generous efforts like this by creating a giving page for the Morris Shuster Memorial Fund to get others involved and maximize their impact.