Incredible moment teen with cerebral palsy finds out he got into Harvard

‘No way. No way!’ Heartwarming video captures the incredible reaction of 17-year-old with cerebral palsy after he found out he’d got into Harvard – after dreaming of attending the Ivy League school for ten years

Julie Myslenski from Connecticut captured the incredible moment her 17-year-old son Matthew discovered he’d been accepted into Harvard
He was born with cerebral palsy, which affects movement and muscle tone
A video clip shows his reaction as he celebrates with his twin sister
Matthew hopes to follow in his parents’ footsteps and forge a career in medicine

By Sadie Whitelocks For Dailymail.com

Looking for a cause to celebrate? Well, this video might inspire that ‘woohoo’ feeling.

Julie Myslenski, from Connecticut, captured the incredible moment her 17-year-old son Matthew who was born with cerebral palsy, discovered he’d been accepted into Harvard.

Her clip shows Matthew alongside his twin sister Magdalena as he checks in on his application via the college’s online portal.

When they realize that the application has been updated with an acceptance offer on the table, the duo suddenly burst into squeals with looks of amazement on their faces.

Julie Myslenski from Connecticut captured the incredible moment her 17-year-old son Matthew who was born with cerebral palsy, discovered he’d been accepted into Harvard

‘No way, no way!’ Magdalena can be heard screaming as her brother looks on in disbelief.

Matthew had dreamed of going to Harvard since the age of seven so the news took a while to sink in.

The video clip of his priceless reaction was shared by his school, the Woodstock Academy, on December 19, 2022 and it has since garnered more than 800,000 views on TikTok.

The school captioned the video: ‘You make us so proud. Two wonderful human beings right here! Now, please pass the tissues.’

Matthew sits alongside his twin sister Magdalena as he checks in on his application via the college’s online portal. Their reactions say it all

Matthew’s teachers note that while he has cerebral palsy – a physical disability that affects movement and muscle tone – he hasn’t let it get in the way of pursuing his goals.

Matthew’s guidance counselor, Valerie Champany said: ‘He can do anything, and he does whatever he sets his mind to without question or complaint.’

Meanwhile, Matthew added: ‘I don’t limit myself with anything and I want to inspire others to not limit themselves either.’

The high school student is set to graduate in June before enrolling at Harvard in the fall to major in biology.

The high school student is set to graduate in June before enrolling at Harvard in the fall to major in biology

Matthew hopes to follow in his parents’ footsteps and establish a career in medicine

He hopes to follow in his parents’ footsteps and establish a career in medicine.

He concluded: ‘After taking AP (advanced placement) biology, I knew I wanted to focus on a STEM (Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) career.

‘I feel well-prepared for college because of Woodstock Academy’s challenging academic opportunities and the amazing teachers who encouraged my success.’

Thousands of social media users have wished Matthew well on his next chapter and thanked his family for sharing the video.

TikToker @Complex_Teen wrote after watching the clip: ‘This is the most heart warming and humbling thing to see. Congratulations and kudos to the supportive sister as well!’

While creator @BillyHollinghurst mused: ‘That is awesome anybody should be able to get into any college of there dreams even with disabilities.’

The condition that WON’T stop Matthew from following his dream: What is cerebral palsy and how does it affect sufferers?

Cerebral palsy is the name for a set of conditions affecting movement and co-ordination stemming from a problem with the brain that takes place before, during or soon after birth.

Symptoms are not typically obvious immediately after a child is born — but instead normally become noticeable after two or three years.

They include delays in reaching development milestones, such as:

not sitting by eight months;
not walking by 18 months;
appearing too stiff or too floppy;
walking on tip-toes;
weak arms or legs;
fidgety, jerky or clumsy movements;
random, uncontrolled movements;

Difficulty speaking, swallowing or seeing — along with learning difficulties — can also be symptoms.

Cerebral palsy symptoms can be caused by a number of things and are not necessarily an indication of the condition, which can occur if a child’s brain does not develop normally while in the womb, or is damaged during or soon after birth.

Causes include bleeding in the baby’s brain, reduced blood and oxygen supply, infection caught by the mother while pregnant, asphyxiation during a difficult birth, meningitis or a serious head injury – though the precise cause is often not clear.

There is no cure currently, but physiotherapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy and medication are often used as treatment.

Each person living with the condition is affected in a different way, but generally speaking most children live into adult life and some can live for many decades.

If you enjoyed reading this article…

‘Oh my God, I’m going to cry!’ Hospital worker is overwhelmed with emotion after meeting the Prince and Princess of Wales as eager royal fans queue in their hundreds for selfies with Kate

Girl, 12, suffering with the effects of Long Covid two YEARS after testing positive still needs a feeding tube and can only manage to go to school part-time

Mum shares her inexpensive three-ingredient recipe for spray that will banish and kill dangerous bathroom mould for good

***
Read more at DailyMail.co.uk