a day ago
Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher, family turn personal tragedy into positivity
children
'She was a devoted mom. She loved all of us kids the same and immensely, and so to have her in our lives was the ultimate blessing,' Pittsburgh Pirate Isaac Mattson said.
Debbie Mattson lived by a simple phrase.
'See a need, fill it.'
She did that, time and time again. She worked in leadership positions at her local school district as a devout Christian and long-time volunteer. She was a mother of eight and a fierce advocate for her children.
'One of our daughters had a concussion. She reached out to the neurologist, said all of this just happened. And all of a sudden, she learned about the impact test that UPMC was doing to the Pittsburgh Steelers back then. She went to the athletic director and said 'Hey, listen. You need to do this for our athletes, for our students, for our kids,' said her husband Ed Mattson.
While she gave all of herself to her family and her community, she quietly battled severe depression, an illness that took everything in 2021. Debbie took her own life, leaving behind a legacy of love and generosity.
'To see her struggle was really hard for all of us, but she was such a bright light to so many, and to know she was struggling and trying to figure things out,' said Isaac Mattson.
Debbie's death shattered those who loved her. For Isaac, baseball took a back seat. His once-rising career reached a low point when the Baltimore Orioles released him a year after his mother's death.
'Going through that as a family was definitely something that was tough for a lot of us. And so, in the wake of the experience that we went through, we kind of talked through what we wanted and how we wanted to kind of walk forward and step forward into that light,' Isaac said.
Just like their mother, they saw a need and filled it. They started the Debra Mattson Memorial Walk. It raises money for a scholarship in her honor and for mental health organizations.
For people who know the Mattsons best, it's no surprise they turned personal tragedy into service.
'You can't fix the situation, but you can do your best to make the best out of the situation, and there's no doubt the family has done that. And Isaac has had to really work to deal with all of this but he's still the same great Isaac he has always been,' his high school coach Tim McQueeney said.
For Isaac, it was more than a tribute - it inspired him to find help for himself, processing his grief and finding his game again.
Last year, he made his return to the majors as a Pittsburgh Pirate.
'It was at the midst of struggling on the field that I was able to kind of take those steps forward and talk about the grief that I'd gone through and not processed completely. That was a big step for me,' Isaac said.
For the Mattsons, healing is a journey they walk together. It's an ongoing process, but one that honors the woman who never turned down an opportunity to help.
'We all loved her to the end and we just hope her story can help others,' Isaac said.
Anyone who needs help personally or knows someone who needs help can call the Suicide Crisis number at 988.
Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW
