Matthew's Invincible Kindness

“I was confined to a bed when I was a baby,” Matthew Lisowski says quietly. “The conditions were harsh. The treatment was cruel.”

It’s not an easy story to tell. Matthew spent his earliest years in an orphanage in Bulgaria, where he experienced neglect and abuse that no child should ever know. “I was beaten with a shoe. I had scars on me,” he explains. “It was a lot to take in.”

And yet, if you spend even a few minutes with Matthew today, one thing becomes immediately clear: his life is not defined by what he endured. It’s defined by what he chooses.

Matthew chooses kindness. Every. Single. Day.

From Survival to Strength

When Matthew and his brother were adopted by an American family, safety finally replaced fear. But the transition wasn’t easy. When he arrived in the United States at age five, Matthew had difficulty walking and needed extensive support to rebuild physical strength and confidence. He also had to learn a new language, adapt to a new culture, and understand what it meant to be cared for instead of hurt.

School brought new challenges. “I was bullied as a kid,” Matthew states plainly, without bitterness. After everything he had endured, cruelty showed up again, this time from classmates focusing on his differences instead of his abilities.

“It would’ve been easy to let that destroy me,” he says. Then, with a smile he adds, “But I never did.”

The Choice That Changed Everything

Ask Matthew what helped him hold onto his kindness, and his answer is immediate: “My mom and dad.”

“They had a lot of patience,” he says. Family trips to nature centers, walks on trails, time spent together—these moments helped Matthew feel safe, seen, and loved. His brother was there too. So was his dog, Marley.

But, we have a choice, who we want to be, how we want to react to difficulties. Matthew made a decision of his own.

“I still was a loving, kind person,” he says. Not because life was easy, but because he chose to be.

Easterseals MORC: Empowering Matthew

That choice was strengthened by support from Easterseals MORC, which has been part of Matthew’s life since he first arrived in the U.S.

Through therapies, mental health support, and long-term relationships with professionals who, according to Matthew, “never gave up on him,” Matthew and his family gained tools that changed everything. “They helped my mom and dad know how to help me—how to handle things when I’m in certain situations.”

One person who continues to make a lasting impact is his psychiatrist, Dr. Cho. “She’s helped me in many areas,” Matthew says. “She always believes in me.”

Because of funding for services like Easterseals MORC, Matthew and his family gained confidence, stability, and the power to build an independent life rooted in connection and purpose.

In 2025, that journey came full circle when Matthew was nominated as an Easterseals MORC Ambassador. Matthew was recognized not for what he had survived, but for the strength and generosity he brings to the world.

Independence, Community, and Giving Back

Today, Matthew lives in his own home with 24/7 support. He proudly says, “It’s my home.” Independence matters deeply to him. He chooses the décor, where things should go, and what music is playing (which is typically Yanni, if Matthew is controlling the playlist). He takes pride in his home, doing maintenance, welcoming friends and family over, and cutting the grass every summer. 

But what truly lights Matthew up is giving.

He volunteers at animal shelters. He shops for children through Giving Tree programs. He brings gifts to friends in other group homes. He would like to fundraise for children’s hospital and donate to organizations like St. Jude.

Like a stone dropped into a lake, Matthew’s kindness sends ripples across the water, reaching people he may never meet.

One Christmas Eve, he skipped his own family dinner to serve at a homeless shelter in Detroit (dressed as an elf). He keenly remembers it because of the experience of feeding an infant. “I remember holding the baby and feeding them,” Matthew says. “It just made me feel good. I felt connected. I wanted them to feel safe.”

Another time, Matthew was walking along the Detroit Riverwalk with his caregiver. The air off the water was cold, sharp against his face. He was wearing a new leather jacket and boots when he noticed someone nearby, bundled up but still shivering.

“I could tell they were cold,” Matthew says. “So, I gave them my jacket and my boots.”

There was no hesitation. When it was time to leave, Matthew walked back to the car in his socks.

To him, it wasn’t a grand gesture. It was instinct.

“I love people, period,” he says.

This is Matthew’s superpower—not just kindness, but the kind that shows up without being asked. The kind that sees a need and responds immediately. The kind that chooses compassion, even when it costs something.

A Vision for the Future

Matthew is always thinking about what’s next, but rarely for himself. 

Lately, that question has led him to entrepreneurship. Matthew has been researching how to start a drop-shipping business, carefully learning how online stores work, how products are sold, and how income is generated. When asked why, his answer is refreshingly direct.

“They make money!” Matthew says. “I can use that to help more people.”

For most of us, the question What kind of business should I start? begins with passion or personal interest. For Matthew, it started with impact. He isn’t focused on what he gets. He is focused on what he can give, what enables him to donate more, support more causes, and help more people who need it.

That is Matthew. Even when he talks about building something of his own, the end goal isn’t independence for independence’s sake—it’s kindness. 

A Powerful Heart

Matthew’s superpower is kindness, tempered by struggles no one should ever endure and strengthened by the choices he makes every day.

“I think it only takes one person to make a change,” Matthew says. “One person.”

That belief was nurtured by people who always believed in him and encouraged him to believe in himself. Through the steady support of Easterseals MORC, Matthew was reminded of his worth and empowered to choose how his story would continue.

“They inspire me,” Matthew says. “They tell me I’m a good person.”

Because of funding for services like Easterseals MORC, Matthew gained more than support. He gained the confidence to choose kindness over bitterness and generosity over retreat. As Matthew says, “When you give, you give from the heart.”

Matthew’s heart powers an invincible kindness that will never run dry.

This Ability: Stories of Easterseals MORC celebrates the unique strengths of individuals thriving with the support of disability services. Every person has a superpower. When you support Easterseals MORC, you help people like Matthew turn ability into impact.