It’s a cold and windy November day, but inside Leisureworld on Mary Street in Creemore, 32-year-old Matthew Vorstermans is sitting on a big sofa in a warm room, reading from The Selected Journals of L.M. Montgomery in a clear voice.
The elderly residents sit quietly and listen to the stories, surrounded by the bright colours of the handpainted woodland mural that wraps around the room. They have come specifically to hear Matthew, who reads at the long-term care home every Tuesday morning.
Matthew says he volunteers here in honour of his grandmother, but she passed away seven years ago in Nova Scotia after developing Alzheimer’s Disease. Even though they lived far apart – she in Massachussetts and then Nova Scotia, and he in Creemore – they were very close, regularly writing and talking on the phone.
“All my life I looked to her for comfort. Anytime we talked she could make me feel better. When she developed Alzheimer’s, the situation was reversed and now she needed the comfort. Now that she is gone, I’d love to give her comfort, but I can’t, so I will give it to someone else.”
Matthew has Cerebral Palsy, which affects his legs and feet. On Friday, November 29, he will be speaking about what it is like to have a disability – among other things – as part of the Collingwood and Creemore Speaker Series.
“I don’t see why it’s extraordinary,” says Matthew, about his life story. “But people are moved by it.”
Matthew started volunteering for the Alzheimer Society of Canada while his grandmother was still alive. Today, he is an Alzheimer Society Ambassador, which means that he speaks to groups about Alzheimer’s, volunteers at fundraising activities and attends events throughout the year.
All this for his Dutch Oma, the woman who helped him see who he was – instead of what he says others think they see.
“She didn’t care that I had a disability. Others may have pampered, overprotected, smothered or underestimated me, but she didn’t do any of that. She encouraged me and told me that she loved me.”
Matthew says his grandmother has had a lifelong effect on him.
“[She] made me feel like a special and normal person. She helped me develop my attitude toward life. I have a permanent disability and I don’t let it get in the way of things and I don’t let people pre-judge me.”
Matthew explains that when new people meet him, they often assume they know what his problems are before they get to know him. They might try to do everything for him or talk too loudly, assuming he can’t hear well or even understand.
“People think physical and mental disabilities go hand-in-hand,” explains Matthew, who graduated from Stayner Collegiate Institute in 2001, has completed online courses through the University of Western Ontario and works at Discover the Path Wellness Centre in Creemore.
“When I explain what I am able to do and people listen, they become more rational and open.”
That is why communication is key, and it is one reason why Matthew continues to speak at events, auditoriums and care facilities.
“Communication helps to get rid of some negative stereotypes,” he says.
Matthew will be the featured speaker at the Mad and Noisy Gallery on Friday, November 29 at 7 pm. RSVP at www.inspirationconvention.ca or 705-432-7375. Admission is by donation.