PRODUCTS
Create and maintain beautiful locks in any hair type easier, faster, and cleaner with Knotty Boy Natural Dreadlock Care products.
Pure ingredients, simple instructions and limitless customer support. Think Dreadlocks, Think Knotty Boy - the Original Since 1998!
The following series of messages sent out to the Knotty Family tells the story of our long-time friend and graphic-designer Nathan Matthews' struggle to beat a cancer misdiagnosed. We said goodbye to Nathan February 13, 2010. Thank you all for your support through this, and your continued thoughts and prayers for his friends and family.
Adrianna xo
REST IN PEACE
Nathan Riley Matthews
December 1, 1980 - February 13, 2010
November 28, 2009: CANCER FUNDRAISER FOR KNOTTY BOY GRAPHIC DESIGNER NATHAN MATTHEWS
Hello all! This is a special note to you from me, Adrianna the KB Boss Lady, to tell you about the battle our dear friend and beloved graphic designer Nathan (yes, the very one responsible for our adorable labels and current version of our little Knotty Boy) is going through right now.
In the summer of 2009 at age 28, Nathan discovered to his shock that what had kept him out of the skate park and at home for weeks was not pneumonia, as he was told by two different doctors, but testicular cancer that had spread throughout his lungs and body. Many, many days of chemo, surgery, stem cell transplants and more chemo has destroyed his body and immune system, and there is still much more to go. Progress and prognosis has gone from positive to uncertain at this time. To make matters worse, his mother's cancer, which had been in remission for the past year has come back, making it impossible for either one to travel to see each other. Nathan is an accomplished skateboarder, photographer and graphic designer for many of the world's largest skateboard companies, and through all of this he has been unable to work.
Personally, this horrendous disease has been responsible for the loss of Knotty Boy co-founder Andrew, my grandmother and the near-loss of my father. You can see why we don't want to have to say goodbye to another. This is why Knotty Boy is matching every extra $1 donated by you on the Check Out page, to help Nathan keep his home and whatever else he needs most to beat this thing.
We'd love to anonymously mail him a big, fat check containing all our contributions as soon as we have enough to make a difference. You have helped us raise so much for deserving kids all over the planet so far, and even though this is not an officially registered charity I hope you will trust us in this to help us get another deserving kid, Nathan, through this unbearable time in his life.
Thank you with everything in me, Knotty ones! We'll keep you posted on his progress.
Adrianna xo
UPDATE Jan. 28, 2010: A combined total of $400 has been contributed in two short months, $1 at a time!! Thank you SO much for your generosity, Knotty kids! This fundraiser will come to an end Feb. 28, 2010, and for this last month's push, I'm calling on each of you to give $2 instead of $1, which Knotty Boy is matching, to raise the very most we can before we pass these contributions along, and here's why.
At this very moment, Nathan is immersed in an entire month of isolated hospitalization. During this time his stem cells have been removed and he is being administered all the chemo his poor body can tolerate, after which the stem cells will be replaced. Nathan has been sedated to keep him comfortable throughout this horrendous procedure, but he awoke last week to find his wonderful, ever-faithful girlfriend by his side, and because he is unable to talk, wrote out in Jiffy marker, "We are getting married."
We are ecstatic and now even more desperate for him to beat this than ever before, even though, sadly, the outlook for his recovery is even less certain now. Thank you for your prayers, love, positive energy and crossed fingers for Nathan beating this thing, for good. We know it can be done!!
Adrianna xo
UPDATE Feb. 19, 2010: We are heartbroken to share with you that Nathan Matthews passed away early Feb. 13th, the day before Valentine's Day. This news was totally unexpected for all, as it appeared his condition was improving for the first time in months. Your generous contributions combined with our matched amount came to a total of $528 today which will be presented to his fiance Nicole tomorrow at Nathan's memorial service to help with related expenses.
We all have been living under a cloud of deep sadness since receiving the news. It seems just too soon to say goodbye to one of the kindest, most talented humans we've ever known. However, Nathan was fortunate enough to have lived several full lifetimes in his short 29 years, and we are all so lucky to have known him.
If you contributed to this fundraiser, thank you once again for your gracious support for him and his family during this time. We love you, Knotty kids.
Adrianna xo