The joyous sound of the African Children’s Choir, D1
09.28.2014
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Everett, Wash.
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Questions remain in jail cell death
COLTON’S ARMY
The sheriff is asking why a woman died in a medical unit and why she was taken to jail from a triage unit. By Rikki King, Scott North and Diana Hefley Herald Writers
IAN TERRY / THE HERALD
Colton Matter, 14, laughs with his parents, Jeff and Suzy Matter, at their Bothell home on Tuesday. Colton has faced cancer five times in five years.
Family Matters
In remission or out, Bothell teen and his family enlist others in battle against leukemia By Amy Nile
H
Herald Writer
e wants people to support his cause, but he doesn’t want to be in the spotlight. Colton Matter, 14, has fought cancer for five years. A support group, “Colton’s Army,” has risen behind him. It started with his parents, Suzy and Jeff “Butch” Matter, of Bothell, asking for prayers when Colton, then 9, first faced acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Since his diagnosis, Colton’s Army has grown into a community of people fighting for a cause. They’ve raised almost $200,000 to research blood cancers. Now these fund-raising efforts have come full circle, not only helping to save Colton’s life but also those of millions of others with the insidious disease. The family has been riding a roller coaster of highs and lows the past five years. Four times they thought they had the cancer beat. And four times it has returned. With the resolve of an athlete and a lot of
faith, Colton has persevered. He had three life-saving transplants before moving on to ground-breaking clinical trials. The experimental research receives funding from the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, which is a beneficiary of Colton’s Army. “You never want to think your child is going to need cutting-edge research to save their life, but that’s Colton,” Suzy Matter said. “We have a lot of hope. God has gotten us through this before, why wouldn’t he again?” The Matters appreciate the community of support, but Colton shies from attention. He is clearly uncomfortable talking about his cancer, mostly deferring to his parents in an interview. He’s been known to tell people about Colton’s Army without saying that he’s the one with cancer. Chris Merwin, Colton’s former Little League coach, has seen him do just that. Usually, Merwin said, someone gives the secret away after Colton has made his pitch. “It catches people off guard how humble he is,” Merwin said. “He likes the support but he doesn’t like people to know it’s for him.” After treatment in a clinical trial that
ONE BAD BET
STAYIN’ ALIVE
started last fall, Colton enjoyed nine cancer-free months. He relapsed in July. He is again undergoing chemotherapy while he awaits a new trial to open at the National Institutes of Health. He started his freshman year at Jackson High School in Mill Creek after a 21-day stint at Seattle Children’s Hospital this summer. Despite the situation, the family remains positive. They call Children’s the “hotel of hope.” Colton has had hundreds of chemotherapy treatments and has made at least 20 visits to the radiation vault over the years. Now he is undergoing chemotherapy every 10 days. He’s been under anesthesia in the “sleepy room” for surgeries and procedures more than 50 times. “It’s beyond remarkable how much he’s been through,” Suzy Matter said. “He’s a fighter.” After more than 300 nights at Seattle Children’s, Colton has learned to eat before he gets stuck with the “horrible” hospital food. A favorite is pasta with mizithra cheese and browned butter from
EVERETT — When a woman died last week at the Snohomish County Jail there were questions. The first: Why did 62-year-old Marilyn E. Mowan suddenly collapse in an observation cell in the medical unit? A close second: What was she doing there in the first place? The woman had been living in Compass Health mental health housing in Everett. She was wellknown to Everett police. They booked her into jail after she allegedly slapped a nurse at a triage center in Everett, a place set up to steer people in mental health crises away from the criminal justice system. Police recommended the woman be charged with third-degree assault, a felony. Sheriff Ty Trenary on Wednesday said he has questions for the police department and jail staff. The woman had been in a facility established to help people manage mental problems. She wound up confined in a jail cell with limited access to resources and where she posed a challenge for corrections officers. “How does that make any sense?” Trenary asked. At least 12 people have died in the county jail since 2010. The See JAIL, Page A4
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See COLTON, Page A5
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Are we putting football over our kids’ health? Viewpoints, B7
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