In this deeply moving and thought-provoking episode of the Legends Podcast, host Sarah Furuya sits down with the miraculous Matthew Dons, a figure who has not only transformed his own life but has profoundly impacted the world around him over the past eight years. This is the final episode of Season 8, themed Skin in the Game, and it brings a powerful close with insights on life, death, and the miraculous experiences that shape our journeys.
In this episode, we discuss:
Matthew’s Miracle: The extraordinary story of Matthew Dons and the miraculous transformations in his life, particularly in the face of death.
Facing Mortality: How Matthew's confrontation with his mortality has reshaped his view of the world, life, and the choices he makes every day.
The Power of Presence: What it means to be truly present in life when you are living with a terminal diagnosis, and how that presence transforms relationships, ambitions, and daily experiences.
Lessons on Death and Dying: Matthew shares the insights he has gained from walking a path many fear, offering listeners a unique perspective on accepting death as a natural part of life.
Inspiration for Others: This episode is not only about Matthew's experience but also serves as a beacon of hope and inspiration for others who may be grappling with their own challenges.
If you enjoyed this episode and it inspired you in some way, we’d love to hear about it and know your biggest takeaway. Head over to Apple Podcasts to leave a review and we’d love it if you would come and say hi over on @sarahfuruyacreative on Instagram.
About Matthew
Matthew Dons is a marketing consultant and business coach from the UK. He has been living in Tokyo since 2007.
Matthew came to Japan to study traditional Japanese martial arts. His other hobbies include baking, studying the history of technology and watching 80’s films.
In July 2016 Matthew was suddenly diagnosed with terminal cancer, also known as stage 4 cancer. The cancer had spread a lot so his life expectancy, with treatment, was just 7-9 months. Although crowdfunding and cutting-edge immunotherapy have helped him live almost 8 years so far, he’s still in a life-and-death fight every day.
Although Matthew is very cynical, he was genuinely shocked to discover there’s no serious effort in any country to stop people dying of cancer. This is despite the fact cancer kills around 10 million people every year, and it destroys the lives of many more people. It’s a brutal disease, with equally-brutal treatments. Experiencing this firsthand motivated him to set up the non-profit Make Cancer History.
Make Cancer History connects patients, oncologists and researchers to share cancer knowledge and save lives.
