Matt Pond

Matt was born the 13th of 14 children on a small farm in Ucon, Idaho. He grew up in a musical family where the children and parents often performed together. Matt attended Ricks College in Rexburg, Idaho for one year then served a mission in Dublin, Ireland for his church. Upon his return, he resumed his education and musical performances with the college’s “Showtime Company” for a second year. After completing his associates’ degree, Matt built cabins and started a dinner theater with his two older brothers at the 7N Ranch in Ririe, Idaho. They produced a few CDs under the title of “The Pond Brothers” and enjoyed performing together for about five years.

In their last year of performing Matt got married; soon after he and his wife moved to Massachusetts, where he managed the local branch of a vinyl shutter business for about four years. He was still performing, now as a solo act. He added bull-whip and lasso tricks to his show and, more importantly, added a son to their family. Shortly after his birth, they returned to Idaho. Matt continued with the shutter business and worked a variety of other jobs as he attended Boise State. They were delighted when two more sons joined the family.

In January of 2006, Matt began having a series of unusual episodes while playing basketball. Several months later, scans revealed brain cancer in his temporal lobe. Matt was just 35 years old and finishing up his final year of school. That was put on hold to battle cancer for the next four years. During that first year after his diagnosis, Matt and his wife divorced and the battle expanded from fighting just to stay alive to also fighting for time with his beloved boys, who were his reason for wanting to live. His parents and siblings were a great help with court proceedings, cancer treatments, and so many other things to help Matt get back on his feet and moving forward again.

After radiation, eight types of chemotherapy, and three surgeries, Matt was given a clean bill of health and is cancer-free. However, the effects of cancer are still part of daily life. During treatment, he had lost the ability to read and write and the use of his right side. Matt has pressed forward with great determination and hope. He developed a unique method of playing his acoustic guitar with one hand. He learned to read and write again and completed a bachelors’ degree at BYU-Idaho in 2013. Matt remarried in 2012 and with the woman he always calls his “sweet wife,” welcomed another son in 2013 and a little girl in 2015. Matt now uses his music and his experience to inspire others with the message that we all have challenges in life, but it is how we come out on the other side that matters.