Photos and article by Cheri Tishman
You can find him on the sidelines of every single soccer game and every single soccer practice. He never misses a one – never. Yet, he never plays, and never will. Six-year-old Matthew Vien was born with a rare neurological disease, but that doesn’t stop him from being the #1 Soccer Fan in Coral Springs.
Matthew, the son of Lisa and Army Private Robert Vien of Coral Springs was born with Lesch Nyhan Syndrome. “I knew when he was born that something was different,” Lisa said, “he was my first boy, but my third child and something was different.” Matthew cannot walk and uses a wheelchair. The disease causes involuntary muscle movements and behavioral problems such as uncontrollable self harm. “We had to have all his teeth removed so he doesn’t bite himself,” said Lisa.
“He is obsessed with sports,” his dad said, “football, soccer, you name it. He knows he cannot do the things other kids do and that makes him want to do it even more.” So the #1 Soccer Fan in Coral Springs came to be because of Coach Brian Javelin, Alexis Vien’s (Matthew’s sister) soccer coach. Coach Brian noticed this kid, Matthew, on the sidelines at every single game and became curious as to who he was and what happened….so he started asking questions.
“I wanted to do something for Matthew,” said Coach Brian. “I wanted him to experience going through the human tunnel like everyone else and recognize him as being the #1 fan. Matthew deserves it, his family deserves it.”
So Coach Brian went to work. He contacted the other soccer teams and people he knew and told them to come to the soccer field February 7. He found out that Matthew’s dad was an Army Private and going to be deployed for two years. So Coach went to work again and contacted the Veterans Coalition of Coral Springs and the Coral Springs Police Department and asked them to be at the soccer field, too.
On February 7, at Mullins Park in Coral Springs, Coach Brian presented Matthew with a medal and a soccer shirt. He also presented the family with an envelope of money that was collected to help out. Then the longest human tunnel with close to 100 people was formed and Private Vien wheeled Matthew through it.
“Seeing Matthew smile – it’s the world to me,” said Private Vien, “it touched my heart. And when you see the vets and the police officers – it’s a great feeling. Once a brother, always a brother,” Vien said.
Lisa and Robert Vien have three kids, Alexis, Kaylee and Matthew and live in Coral Springs. “The kids are used to daddy being away,” Lisa said, “and they keep in contact with him through Skype. Matthew loves to Skype people.”
So the next time you are at the soccer field, look for Matthew and give him a high five for being the #1 Soccer Fan in Coral Springs.
