Letters to Matt

On the cold afternoon of January 3, 2015 . . .

At 12:15 p.m., MaryBeth Cichocki’s husband came to the hospital where she worked as a NICU nurse. “It’s Matt. He’s dead,” her husband cried.

MaryBeth heard someone screaming, not realizing it was her own voice.

Letters to Matt chronicles MaryBeth’s journey through grief in a series of raw, candid letters written to her deceased son. Trying to make sense of his addiction and death by overdose, she gives voice to a pain shared by all who are reluctant to talk about the ugly side of grief.

MaryBeth’s letters also give hope. Through the years, her writing reveals how she found a way to channel her anger and grief into helping others by advocating for change so Matt’s death will have meaning. They also reveal the strength of a mother’s love to overcome anything.